вЂњI found something that I was really good at. вЂњI started my first CAD course and I simply fell in love with it,вЂќ recalls Rebecca. Initially, Rebecca was worried that her creative talents in music might not translate into the skills required for the interior design industry, but she quickly found her calling in computer aided design. I did that for a while and I thought, 'OK, I don't like this, maybe I need to go back and do something creative.вЂ™ So I went to ACC and enrolled in their interior design program.вЂќ I'm not sure how I got into it - but I was doing accounting for engineering firms. Then I thought I needed to do something that will make money, so I started doing some accounting. вЂњI started playing the violin at the very early age of 2, and I did that until my late 20s. вЂњI started out as a violinist,вЂќ says Rebecca. But she made a few detours along the way. Rebecca discovered CAD as an adult learner while pursuing a new career as an interior designer.

Maybe they burned out with what they were doing or perhaps they wanted to do something more creative. вЂњWe have a good third of our students who are coming to ACC when they are already well into their first, second, third, or even fourth career. вЂњMy background is actually a lot like some of our students,вЂќ says Rebecca. In that respect, she believes she has a great deal in common with her students, beyond the topics that she teaches.

Who says you get to have only one career in your life? As the Program Chair for Arapahoe Community CollegeвЂ™s (ACC) Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) department, Rebecca Terpstra has a few careers under her belt.

Computer aided drafting for beginners