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When she completes the program this August, she’ll graduate with her associate degree and plans to transfer to Southern New Hampshire University to pursue her bachelor’s degree online—while continuing to work full-time at Aon.
After graduating from Schaumburg High School in 2010, Yesenia Gonzalez spent years working in customer service for a major airline. The job was steady, but over time, it started to feel like a dead end. She wasn’t in school, she wasn’t learning new things, and she couldn’t see a clear path forward. Then, she heard about the Aon Apprenticeship Program—and everything changed.
In August 2023, Yesenia became an apprentice at Aon and a student at Harold Washington College, where she began studying business management and marketing. It was a leap of faith—returning to school more than a decade after high school, balancing classes and a new job—but one that’s paid off in more ways than she imagined.
“Going back to school was scary. I wasn’t sure how I’d manage it all,” she said. “But Harold Washington and Aon have been incredibly supportive. The flexibility in class scheduling, the support from professors and advisors, and the ability to apply what I’m learning in real-time at work—it’s all been invaluable.”
Yesenia is now a 2025 Illinois Apprentice Ambassador and works in Aon’s casualty umbrella and excess department. She’s learning to use tools like Excel and industry-specific software, managing meetings, organizing projects, and building relationships with colleagues, clients, and markets. She’s also gained skills in time management, collaboration, and even public speaking.
But perhaps the biggest transformation has been internal.
“I used to think of myself as someone who just helped board flights and did simple tasks,” she said. “Now, I see myself as someone who belongs in the corporate world—someone with valuable skills and a future full of opportunity.”
That future includes financial stability for the first time in her life. At 33, Yesenia is planning to move into her own place and is dreaming of buying a home—and maybe even getting a puppy to go with it.
When she completes the program this August, she’ll graduate with her associate degree and plans to transfer to Southern New Hampshire University to pursue her bachelor’s degree online—while continuing to work full-time at Aon.
“This isn’t just a job while I’m in school. It’s the start of a long-term career with a company and a team I love,” she says. “I feel like I belong.”
Yesenia’s story is a powerful example of how apprenticeships can change lives—not just for students, but for employers too.
"To all the employers out there, I encourage you to consider starting an apprenticeship program. You have the power to open doors for people like me—people who are talented, hardworking, and just waiting for an opportunity to grow.”"
—Yesenia Gonzalez
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