SAN DIEGO, July 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Ricardo Fogel has been named Ashford University's Outstanding Alum of the Month for July 2018. The Ashford University Outstanding Alum of the Month recognition highlights Ashford graduates who have used their Ashford education as a springboard to personal and professional achievement.

After being injured on a construction site while working as a driller assistant and service technician, Ricardo was dismayed to learn that after six months of healing, his body wasn't fully recovered.

"I already knew I no longer had the strength or ability to continue working," he says. "It was then [that] I decided to go back to school and further my education while I was unable to work."

He had applied to a community college in the San Francisco Bay Area, but was drawn to the flexible online learning environment of Ashford, which many students dealing with an injury or physical disability find ideal.

Knowing that he couldn't return to a career that required so much physical labor, Ricardo chose to pursue real estate. By the second course in his Bachelor of Arts in Real Estate Studies program he began earning As and Bs on his assignments. He was also invited to join Ashford's Delta Alpha Pi Honor Society, a group that is open to students with a documented disability who demonstrate an interest in disability issues.

"I love learning," says Ricardo. "I enjoy the subject matter I am training for, and I have an internal motivation that is so strong."

Following his graduation in October 2017, Ricardo has begun preparing for his California real estate exam. Having forged contacts with a real estate company during his time in school, he's already on his way to securing a career for the next phase of his life.

To read more of Ricardo's story, visit https://www.ashford.edu/online-learning-experience/student-success-stories/ricardo-fogel.

About Ashford University

Where heritage meets innovation – that's Ashford University. At Ashford, students discover relevant degree programs, innovative technology, and cherished tradition. Ashford offers associates, bachelor's, and master's degree programs online, allowing students to balance life by providing the flexibility to do school work anywhere, anytime. For more information, please visit www.ashford.edu, www.facebook.com/ashforduniversity, or www.twitter.com/AshfordU.

Contact: Lauren Coartney
858.513.9240 x11636 • lauren.coartney@ashford.edu

SOURCE Ashford University