AT 45, FORMER STAY-AT-HOME MOM NOW HAS DREAM JOB AS FEDERAL OFFICER

She credits Grossmont College for setting her path toward successful career

They epitomize the community college success story. Either written off by others as “not college material,” or hindered by their own misgivings or trying circumstances, former students of Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges are featured in a series, “Community Colleges: A Real Chance at the Brass Ring,” to provide inspiration to others. Story courtesy of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District.

EL CAJON -- Her marriage a closed chapter after 14 years, Jill Cobb faced the daunting prospect of raising two young girls on her own. So with great trepidation, she returned to school. Her motivation in 1999 was to provide a better future for her daughters, then 7 and 12. But she never imagined that less than a decade after getting her start at Grossmont College, she would have a master’s degree and be a sworn federal officer for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, making life-altering decisions in immigration matters.

“I love my job because…it has to do with criminal justice and at times, I get to deal with people with disabilities, my other love,” she said.

The path to get where Cobb is today was an arduous one, complicated by family and health issues, plus the uncertainty of tackling the books nearly two decades past high school. Besides the usual juggling act, Cobb had physical challenges to contend with after a tumble down stairs in 1992; a slip on a wet hospital floor a few months later left her with torn ligaments in her knees and a ruptured disc in her spine--injuries which continue to affect her mobility.

Her return to academia left her so exhausted that she came close to leaving college, but with the help she received at the Grossmont’s Extended Opportunity Programs and Services and the encouragement of EOPS counselor Michael Perez, she persevered.

“It wasn’t necessarily what Michael said…it was that he cared, handed me a tissue, let me cry and talk it out,” said Cobb, now 45, living in North County with her 17-year-old. “After being out of the workforce, I re-entered the education arena, which was a very frightening prospect. I was supported (by Grossmont) beyond my wildest dreams.”

With help from EOPS and Disabled Student Programs and Services, Cobb received her associate degree in general education in 2002 and transferred to San Diego State University as a criminal justice major. She followed up her bachelor’s in 2004 with a master’s in 2007 in rehabilitation counseling with a psychiatric emphasis. In January 2008, she was hired by the Department of Homeland Security and following intensive training, she began her new post, interviewing applicants, interpreting immigration law and deciding cases involving immigration status, deportation and naturalization.

The Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District includes the East County region of San Diego County and beyond to the Imperial County and Mexican borders. The district’s two campuses, Grossmont College and Cuyamaca College, serve more than 29,000 students per semester. Go to www.gcccd.edu for more information.