After 23 years as a Delta Airlines flight attendant, Cindy Fitzgibbons decided to become a veterinary technician.
She left Delta when the carrier dismantled its hub at DFW International Airport.
"If they would have stayed in Dallas-Fort Worth, I probably would have still been there," Fitzgibbons said.
While searching for a college for her daughter, Fitzgibbons discovered the veterinary technician program at Cedar Valley College, which is part of the Dallas County Community College District.
"It is neat how when one thing closes, surprisingly something opens up that you don't even realize if you just let it happen," Fitzgibbons said.
Like so many adults in a career transition forced by a changing economy, Fitzgibbons liked the schedule flexibility and low tuition cost offered by a community college.
"It's like just under $50 for one credit, " she said.
There is so much demand in the field of veterinary medicine that Fitzgibbons already has a paycheck.
"Three months into the school and they've already set me up at a hospital in my area," she said.
What's even better, she's found something she loves as much as her former career.
"I can't believe how much I love taking care of the animals. I absolutely love it," Fitzgibbons said.
For more information about programs at Cedar Valley College visit: http://www.cedarvalleycollege.edu/
