Origins

Gwendeline Perez is on her way to becoming a registered nurse, but this is not her first go-round at obtaining her degree.

Gwendeline, 34, of Egg Harbor Township graduated from Absegami High School in 2005 and enrolled in Atlantic Cape that fall, wanting to stay close to home as she had just learned she was pregnant.

During that time, she applied for the college’s nursing program, but was put on the waitlist.

“I said, ‘We’ve got to go to the next best thing,’” she explained. So Gwendeline enrolled in another school to become a Licensed Practical Nurse, although she held onto her plans to return to Atlantic Cape.

“In the process, I’ve had four beautiful daughters,” she said.

For the last 10 years, Gwendeline has been working as a pediatric nurse for Bayada, and at the AtlantiCare Health Plex in Atlantic City while raising her family.

In 2019, when her youngest child was old enough to enroll in school, Gwendeline returned to Atlantic Cape where she is slowly working toward the next step in the career she has always dreamed of.

In 2020, she earned her associate’s degree in Health Science and is now working toward her RN.

Gwendeline said her nursing career is inspired by her mother, who she described as the “go-to” person in her family for help.

 “I just love to put a smile on somebody’s face,” she said. “If you’re sick, if you’re sad, if you're down, I try to bring a positive out of whatever negative situation. I just love to help.”

Now that she has nearly achieved her goal, Gwendeline is looking even farther into her future and said she plans to apply to Rutgers to obtain her bachelor’s in nursing.

When the world shut down in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Steven Glassoff was working in a kitchen on a cruise ship.

“After high school I went right into the workforce, but still always knew I wanted to continue my education at some point,” said Steven, 22, of Toms River, who graduated from Ocean County Vocational Technical School where he studied culinary arts.

The pandemic forced Steven to jumpstart his other plans. When he arrived home from his last trip after being laid off, Steven enrolled at Atlantic Cape Community College’s Academy of Culinary Arts.

“I was just always in the kitchen since I was young,” he explained. “I probably started taking over making dinners during the week in middle school.”

Throughout high school, Steven struggled with a learning disability that made it hard for him to focus. Coming to college, he was concerned he would face the same difficulties.

“Atlantic Cape has helped every step of the way to make sure I know what resources are available and have helped make any necessary accommodations,” Steven said. “I still struggle, but I know how I need to learn.”

Steven said if he had a superpower, it would be perseverance.

“I always want to keep trying more things,” he said. “I think we learn a lot from failure and how we can approach (tasks) differently.”

Steven hopes to one day own his own restaurant and gourmet food market.

Aylin Alvarez, 19, of Cape May started attending film camp in her hometown of Cape May when she was in fifth grade. Her mom’s boss, whom she described as “like a grandmother,” encouraged a young Aylin to attend the camp by bringing her to the city’s annual Film Festival.

“And I absolutely loved it, and I stuck with it from when I was 11 until I was 17,” Aylin said. “I thought it was really amazing to see other people collaborate.”

After graduating high school, she enrolled in Atlantic Cape with plans to pursue a career in the film industry as a way to amplify diverse voices, including hers.

“I think it was the lack of representation that really inspired me more than actually seeing movies,” Aylin said. “(When watching movies), I was like, ‘Oh that’s cool, but how awesome would it be to see people who looked like me, as well, and to see stories told through a non-white-savior lens.”

Aylin described herself as “a really horrible student in high school,” who wanted to go to a prestigious film school, but couldn’t get in because of her grades.

Now at Atlantic Cape, Aylin said that her professors and her friends have been great supporters for her in both her professional and personal goals.

“A bunch of my closest friends came from the Communications Awards Club and I talk to them every day,” she said. “I think just meeting them and seeing people also interested in the same field as I am also helped. That’s why I love coming here.”

For Aylin, Atlantic Cape has given her more self-confidence –she won Communication Major of the Year for 2020-2021 – and allows her to stay close to her family, who are her best friends.

For several years after high school, Derek Williams felt like he was in flux. He was taking classes at another community college, but nothing that sparked in him a sense of motivation.

It was helping a family member with their own struggle that helped Derek figure out what he wanted for himself.

“I always knew I wanted to do something in aviation,” said Derek, 25, of Franklinville (Gloucester County), who is studying to earn his degree in aviation studies.

Derek’s love of flight comes from his dad, Stephen D. Williams, who is deputy executive director for the Delaware River and Bay Authority.

“My dad knew that there were classes being offered here,” Derek explained. “Atlantic Cape was a lot more affordable and convenient.”

Derek said that having enthusiastic and committed instructors to learn from have helped him in his educational pursuits, and a degree is the first step in his career plans. He hopes to get into airport management and get his private pilot’s license.

At 17 years old, Heleena Hendricks enrolled at Atlantic Cape as a culinary student after being released from juvenile detention. But her stay at the college didn’t last long. As she puts it, “life got in the way.” She dropped out of school and soon had a daughter.

In the meantime, she began working, starting her own businesses along the way.

At 25, Heleena re-enrolled as a business major.

“I wanted to own a business and not be counted in the statistics of businesses that fail within the first five years,” she said.

But she got sick, and then her daughter became ill.

“My biggest ‘villain’ was my health. It got in my way every chance and direction it could: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Life was the obstacle course, education was the knotted ropes and tools that helped you get through it,” Heleena said.

Now, at 38, the Egg Harbor Township resident has overcome obstacle after obstacle as she continues to work toward her degree.

“I just kept chipping away at it,” she said.

Heleena said that she credits God and her own organization and communication skills in helping her achieve her goals.