Rain Ashley Jelley’s academic journey is a testament to her maturity, discipline, and courage to pursue a second chance.
Her path began in 2017 when she enrolled at Great Bay Community College shortly after high school. Initially pursuing early childhood education before switching to business, Jelley struggled to find her footing academically and eventually found herself on academic probation. She decided to pause her studies to gain perspective and take responsibility for her future.
“I didn’t do well. I wasn’t in the right mindset,” she said, looking back at those early years. “After my first year, I decided I needed to step away and figure out what I wanted to do. I needed to take some responsibility.”
During a three-year hiatus, Jelley entered the workforce full-time in an entry-level position. This period was transformative. Through her professional experiences, she developed a stronger sense of maturity, discipline, and work ethic, qualities that would ultimately redefine her approach to education. In 2021, she returned to Great Bay, focusing on accounting, a field she was drawn to by her natural aptitude for math and her mother’s influence.
“I decided I wanted to go back, approach it differently, and prove to myself I could do it,” she said. “I went back as an adult, and I took it more seriously. It was something I was choosing to do, and not something I felt I had to do.”
Jelley embraced the challenge of balancing a full-time career with her college course load. Over the four years it took to complete her degree, she excelled academically, proving her capability and dedication. She graduated with her associate degree in accounting in 2024, marking the successful completion of a journey nearly a decade in the making.
She turned her early struggles into a story of resilience and professional triumph. “I am extremely proud of what I accomplished,” she said.
Her academic success quickly translated into professional opportunity. In fall 2024, Jelley began working as an accounts payable associate at Sprague Energy. Earlier this year, she applied for and received a promotion to staff accountant. Now seven months into her new role, Jelley feels a profound sense of confidence—and accomplishment.
“Great Bay gave me the foundation to succeed and prove to myself that I am capable of finishing what I started,” she said.
For Jelley, returning to college was about more than earning a degree. It was an opportunity to prove that past setbacks do not define future success. Through determination, accountability, and a willingness to begin again, she turned a difficult start into an accomplishment she is deeply proud of and built the foundation for a promising career in accounting.