Marshall, Texas – Dawn Cunningham had a new baby to care for while her husband David served in Iraq, but she knew she needed to also train for a career with benefits. Since she had studied drafting technology at Marshall High, she enrolled in the Computer Aided Drafting program at TSTC Marshall. Dawn was one of only two females in the program.

Baby Bridget was just six weeks old when Dawn began classes in January, 2004. She attended full-time, though, taking advantage of TSTC Marshall's childcare assistance program, funded by a federal Carl Perkins Act grant. Her second daughter Emily was born in July, 2005.

“TSTC and its instructors really understood that we have families to take care of,” Dawn said. “As long as you work hard and try your best the TSTC family will do anything they can to help you.”