Woman accepts employer’s offer of free tuition

When Arizona-born Ruby Manuela Saldana accompanied her deported parents back to Mexico at age 17, she felt her chances at higher education fade.

Now 24 and a Denver resident, Manuela Saldana has a renewed shot at a degree in early childhood education, and her Aurora employer is picking up the tuition tab.

Bright Horizons, a national child care company with 20 facilities spread throughout the Denver area, launched a program Wednesday providing free college tuition for all full-time employees seeking a degree in early childhood education.

The company has nearly 20,000 workers across the globe.

Employees taking advantage of the program won’t have to pay for tuition, books, fees or any out-ofpocket expenses.

“This is the best feeling,” Manuela Saldana said. “Education is a gift. I want to be able to show my daughter and son that their mom is able to do this even though she’s a mom and working full time. It’s definitely not easy, but I want them to know that it’s possible.”

Employees can choose from four schools: Ashford University, offering online degrees; Northampton Community College, based in Pennsylvania; Rasmussen College, offering online degrees; and Walden University, offering online degrees.

Stephen Kramer, Bright Horizons CEO, said the idea to launch the program came after listening to their teachers’ desires to get back in the classroom as a student. The company already offered a tuition reimbursement program, but Kramer said they discovered that employees weren’t frequently taking advantage of it.

“We realized our teachers didn’t have the financial wherewithal to pay for tuition up front, and they didn’t have a path,” Kramer said.

To fix that, Kramer said the free schooling also comes with an advisor to figure out which school and which early childhood education degree fits best.

Manuela Saldana plans on taking classes through Ashford University and hopes to advance her career within her Bright Horizons’ facility at Fitzsimons Early Learning Center. She adores early childhood education and knew she wanted to join the field since her beloved kindergarten teacher inspired her, but she has her eyes set on a management position.

“I enjoy being that support that children need,” Manuela Saldana said. “I love being a part of their growing or learning process.”

Manuela Saldana has been with Bright Horizons for four years, ever since she and her husband moved from Mexico to Colorado. She has worked as an assistant in a classroom of 2-year-olds and done administrative work includ- ing making sure health records are up to date.

Enrolling in free college courses makes Manuela Saldana feel like she’s back on her chosen path.

Kramer hoped the nearly 1,000 employees who intend on taking Bright Horizons up on their offer feel the same way, noting that three quarters of those interested come from diverse backgrounds. Almost half those interested are over the age of 35, he said.

“We see this as an opportunity to further the great work we do for diversity and inclusion,” Kramer said. “Education is a wonderful equalizer.”

The child care center was also motivated to provide higher education after noticing fewer people studying early childhood education.

“We have been faced with the challenge of a depleting workforce associated with credentialed people,” Kramer said. “Investing in our people and attracting people interested in this who want to go back to school was a way to remedy that.”

Manuela Saldana is thrilled to think about the day she has a bachelor’s degree to her name.

“I’ve come such a long way,” she said. “We have a house now. We’re just doing so great, and Bright Horizons has been with me through it all.”