Claretha Morrell

Claretha Morrell is an Olive-Harvey College alumna and a lifelong learner. At age 62, her desire to work in the fast-growing cannabis industry brought her back into the classroom. She’s now completing the Cannabis Dispensary Operations certificate program at her alma mater, Olive-Harvey, with the goal of working in or owning a medical cannabis dispensary one day.

At the start of her program, Claretha owned an older computer that was not convenient or reliable for her Zoom classes and assignments. But her enthusiasm to learn led her to discover the Learn to Own Laptop program, which gives students the opportunity to keep their loaner laptop by completing at least six credit hours for two consecutive semesters. With her new laptop, Claretha can now complete assignments on time and with no connection issues.

Looking back on the moment she got her laptop, Claretha said, “I held it all the way back to my car, and I sat in my car for about 20 minutes. I thought to myself, ‘I didn’t have to give up a bill, I didn’t have to cut back on groceries, I didn’t have to apply for a credit card and get denied, and I didn’t have to pay for it [a laptop]. I didn’t have to give up anything.’”

The simplicity of the application process, the promptness of the eligibility response, and the smooth pick-up process for the laptop made Claretha abundantly excited and thankful for the opportunity. Eager to help others take advantage of all City Colleges has to offer, Claretha now shares information about the program with her classmates and encourages them to apply, too.