Carol
See how Carol built an art business entirely on her own terms by utilizing her strong work ethic and on-the-job experience.

Carol grew up with a family that instilled in her a strong work ethic as her parents worked long hours in retail and in gas stations. Carol learned that work is a part of life and requires dedication and responsibility. She became a mother in high school, and took a break from school but parenthood ignited a new flame for Carol. “After I had kids, exploring with them and teaching them, I just learned to enjoy learning a lot more.” Seeing the world through the eyes of her children showed her a path forward.
Carol developed strong communications skills working at call centers and through a stint studying broadcasting. Data entry taught her attention to detail and efficiency. Being a mother meant managing schedules, budgets, and personalities. And yet, when she got her associates degree in Veterinary Science, she had a hard time finding a job that fit her family obligations and made her feel valued. She felt overlooked on the job for not having a bachelor’s degree.
Always an amateur artist, she realized she had the skills to develop products that she could sell. She started her own business where she found the fulfillment and freedom that she had been looking for. Carol worked at trade shows for five years, but when the pandemic hit, the shows were suspended and she did not have the resources to move her business online. Carol has been without work for the past two years but she looks forward to rebuilding her business and selling her art in the future.
Read more STAR stories
Find out how Army veteran Micah built his own business from the ground up and how problem-solving became the foundation of everything he's built.

Micah
See how Sean's STAR status led to his thriving career as a 3D chalk artist and ice and snow sculptor on his own terms.

Sean
See how Lakisha built a successful administrative career through sheer work ethic and the hard-won confidence to know her own worth.

Lakisha
Find out how a childhood love of food inspired Mark's culinary management career, built entirely through empathy, practice, and hard work.

Mark
See how Dalton is building two careers at once through hands-on learning and how he's channeling his emergency response skills into a growing media platform.

Dalton
Read about how Erika's STAR status and hands-on experience earned her a quality Technician role and how she continues to defy expectations every day.

Erika
See how Sam applied decades of relentless curiosity and hands-on learning into a career that defies any single job title.

Sam
Read about how Thaddaeus's STAR status landed him a position as a university IT Specialist, where his self-taught tech skills and passion for helping others are his greatest credentials.

Thaddaeus
See how Army veteran Kent built an entire tech career through mentorship, persistence, and problem solving.

Kent
Find out how Katy made one of the most unexpected career leaps around, and now helps others do the same.

Katy
See how Lynnette turned a hobby into a business while embracing entrepreneurship in retirement.

Lynnette
Find out how Barbara's STAR status guided her career within the nonprofit sector and how lived experience can be the most powerful credential of all.

Barbara
Find out how Carmen is building toward owning her own home health agency, one skill at a time, without a four-year degree.

Carmen
See how military veteran Quinn is challenging employers to value experience over credentials.

Quinn
Read how Daquan's self-taught skills as a home health aide and carpenter built a career that no one can ever take away from him.

Daquan
Find out how Tadarius turned a moment of crisis into a calling, guided by lived experience and hard-earned certifications.

Tadarius
Read about Mary's philosophy on people-first leadership and how integrity and empathy can define a career, even without a degree.

Mary
See how Elizabeth found her calling as an employment counselor, helping formerly incarcerated job seekers reclaim their futures.

Elizabeth
Find out how self-advocacy and a self-taught mindset launched Debrena's QA engineering career.

Debrena
See how learning to fail became Ricky's secret to building a career in acting and coaching.

Ricky
See how Robert's work ethic carried him from a skate shop to corporate merchandising and shaped him into an empathetic leader.

Robert
See how Carol built an art business entirely on her own terms by utilizing her strong work ethic and on-the-job experience.

Carol
Read about how Reyna's STAR status is leading her path toward computer science and a dream of building a platform for low-income youth, powered entirely by grit and on-the-job learning.

Reyna
After observing how firms overlooked colleagues without degrees, see how Sharon transitioned into her role as Billing Coordinator by investing in herself at every turn.

Sharon
Read about how Erin's STAR status landed her a position as an Internal Audit Manager... without a bachelor's degree.

Erin
Write your story
Every time STARs speak out, more people realize they're part of this 70-million-strong community.





























