I attended Pueblo Community College for about one to two years (2021-2023) pursuing an Associate of Applied Science in Behavioral Health with an Addiction Recovery emphasis. My goal was to use this degree to enter PCC’s Medical Sonography program, which is the only program in Colorado that allows students to use financial aid for sonography. Unfortunately, my experience at PCC was extremely disappointing and emotionally draining.The Behavioral Health/Addiction Counseling program was especially difficult because there was only one professor teaching all of the addiction counseling courses. These courses were often one‑credit, two‑week classes, or required being on campus for up to three full days from 8 AM to 5 PM. This was nearly impossible to manage while working full‑time and commuting from Colorado Springs, yet the professor offered no flexibility or support.I completed around eight courses with this professor, and she failed me in the majority of them. Even when I communicated my circumstances—such as my mother battling breast cancer—my requests for reasonable extensions were denied.The final course I took with her was the most unprofessional experience I’ve ever had in higher education. She changed the scheduled in‑person class to a Zoom meeting only a week before, then sent out a poll to reschedule the date due to personal issues. The new date was one I was not available for, but I still rearranged my life to attend. During the Zoom session, she required cameras to be on even if students were driving. When I turned my camera on and muted myself for safety, she removed me from the meeting. I emailed her repeatedly asking to be let back in—she said she would, but never did. I had already completed all coursework and only needed the final approval from that Zoom session to pass. She failed me anyway.When I contacted the school to report what happened, I was told I “shouldn’t have been in that class” because of missing prerequisites—despite the fact that I was already enrolled, attending, and completing the work. The entire situation felt disorganized and dismissive.On top of that, my academic advisor assured me that the Behavioral Health degree would qualify me for the Medical Sonography program. After completing nearly half of the degree, I spoke directly with the program director, who told me it would not qualify me. I was devastated. I had spent years working toward a dream I’d had since I was 15, only to be told the degree path my advisor recommended would not get me there. The alternatives they suggested—such as a Medical Assistant degree—made no sense, especially since you don’t even need a degree to become a medical assistant.I also experienced moments where the program felt inconsistent and poorly managed. For example, one required three‑day in‑person course was suddenly shortened to one day “just because,” and I had to attend despite being in severe pain from endometriosis. Missing that day would have resulted in an automatic failure. No student should be put in that position.Overall, my experience at Pueblo Community College was chaotic, unsupportive, and emotionally exhausting. Between the lack of structure, the misinformation from advising, and the discriminatory and inflexible behavior from the addiction counseling professor, I cannot recommend PCC to anyone—especially students who are working, commuting, or trying to pursue a healthcare pathway.
