DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Westwood College today announced the 2012 Westwood Success Stories, a group of 100 graduates demonstrating exceptional success in pursuing careers in the face of a tough economic environment and personal challenges after getting a degree from Westwood College. From a variety of degree programs and located across the country, this groups collective determination and dedication are an inspiration to current Westwood College students, faculty and staff, showing them through personal accounts how the hands-on training students receive from a career college education pays off.

The Westwood Success testimonials are presented in personal profiles, photos and videos featured online at http://www.WestwoodSuccess.com and are seen across campuses on signs and in books made available to students. The stories represent the diverse student population of Westwood College and provide straightforward, first-person insights into the obstacles and challenges many people face when making a decision about furthering their education.

We are honored to share the extraordinary journeys of our graduates, said Dean Gouin, system president and chief executive officer of Westwood College. These are powerful stories, particularly because graduates tell them in their own words. We recognize that finding employment upon graduation is challenging for all college students in todays economic climate, but these graduates demonstrate the success that can be achieved when they are given hands-on training in their fields, significant support and embrace taking personal responsibility to overcome obstacles and challenges.

Westwood Success Stories graduates serve as ambassadors for over 30,000 Westwood College graduates who have gained real-world experience from classes led by industry professionals. These students now use their Westwood degrees to launch, change or transform their careers.

Collectively, the students represented in the Westwood Success Stories program faced numerous challenges in order to earn their degrees. These hurdles include lack of family and peer support, single-parent childcare obligations, juggling multiple jobs or lack of transportation to and from campus.

Nearly half of the students attending Westwood are single parents and most are working either full- or part-time while getting their education. More than 60 percent of students are the first in their families to pursue a higher education degree, and many have been unsuccessful at traditional and community college programs.

One Westwood Success Story, Efrain Gastelum of Los Angeles, is a graduate with a bachelors degree in network management and is now working as the manager of network operations and emerging technologies at Tangram Interiors. While in school, working full time as a manager at an oil change shop, having a full course load, balancing the birth of his first daughter and being a mentor to younger students tested his commitment to Westwood. I learned that if you fail to plan, well, plan on failing, Efrain said. Westwood worked for me because they had an individual plan for success. The availability of online and evening classes allowed me to continue to work and support my family and the instructors became mentorsmore than just teachers.

Westwood College congratulates these exceptional men and women featured as the second round of Westwood Success Stories alumni and looks forward to celebrating the successes of all our graduates for years to come.

To learn more about the Westwood Success Stories program go to http://www.WestwoodSuccess.com. You can also watch testimonial videos of select Westwood Success graduates on Westwoods YouTube channel.

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Westwood College Announces Graduate Success Stories