Hometown: Nampa, Idaho
Major: Applied Accounting
Graduation: 2012
“Because of the training and schooling I received at College of Western Idaho (CWI),” said 2012 alumnus, José Nava, “I now have a great job and am no longer living paycheck to paycheck!”
José, an Idaho native and father of three, said trying to replace a water heater himself in order to save money ultimately inspired him to attend college.
“Needless to say, it was a struggle. On the verge of giving up, I remember looking at my wife and saying, ‘Why can’t we make enough money to hire a professional to do this?!’ That was it. The following week, I went and applied at CWI.”
As a student in CWI’s Applied Accounting program, José was given an assignment during one of his last semesters to shadow someone in his field of study. He chose to complete this assignment at American Image Marketing, Inc. (AIM), a natural health product and nutritional supplement company in Nampa, Idaho. During the job shadow, he was offered a summer internship.
“As with most internships, I didn’t think it was paid. When I got to work the first day, they gave me a W-4 to fill out. I remember thinking, ‘What is this for?’ Little did I know it was a PAID internship! I didn’t say anything to my wife until I got home and surprised her. We were both thrilled!”
In May 2013, five months after graduating from CWI, José was offered a full-time position with the company. This year, he will celebrate his sixth anniversary with AIM where he is an Accounting Specialist over sales tax, payroll, and accounts payable.
“CWI empowered me by giving me a chance at a better way of life. I am so much happier than I was seven years ago! This change not only impacted me, but my family as well. They see that I am happy where I work and that transcends to being happy at home.”
