By Mira Radovich, Senior Contributing Writer
When Jared Simmons was considering what career field to pursue, he knew it would involve the justice system.
“I always had an interest in the justice system,” Simmons said. “At first, I was thinking of becoming law enforcement, but I later decided to pursue more of an office setting working within the legal field.”
Simmons began his education by pursuing the Administration of Justice program at Estrella Mountain Community College, which offered a bachelor’s degree pathway to Northern Arizona University.
“After graduating with my bachelor’s, I decided to make a slight change in my career path and become a paralegal,” Simmons said. “I saw that Rio Salado offered a Paralegal Studies program. I had a great experience with the Maricopa Community Colleges, so I figured why not give Rio a shot?”
Simmons enrolled at Rio Salado, and began his online paralegal degree program.
“I've always done well with online classes, though I prefer in-person classes,” Simmons said. “All of Rio’s instructors were more than happy to answer any questions that I had with assignments, legal topics, and provided me with great feedback. Overall, I had a good experience.”
He found the key to a successful online experience was eliminating distractions.
“The main thing is to limit things that distract you as much as possible,” Simmons said. “I caught myself reaching for my phone to talk to my friends, or after researching some writing or legal topic on YouTube, getting side-tracked by a recommended video.”
Taking classes for the paralegal program helped Simmons focus his interest on two types of law.
“Throughout the courses, I quickly found out what areas of law I enjoyed, such as criminal law, and which I struggled with or disliked, such as business and finance law,” Simmons said. “By the time I was done at Rio, I knew I wanted to be a paralegal for the prosecutor’s office or an immigration law firm.”
Simmons’s wish became reality when one of his Rio instructors, adjunct faculty member Laura Girard, helped him secure an internship after he completed his paralegal degree in the summer of 2024.
“Thanks to my Rio professors, I am working as a paralegal for the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, in the Criminal Trial Division, which was my top choice for launching my career,” Simmons said. “I started a four-month internship which MCAO wanted to end early to hire me on!”
Now one month into being a full-fledged paralegal, Simmons is embarking on his dream career.
“I have a great job with fantastic benefits, and am assisting the attorneys in making a difference in our communities,” Simmons said. “Currently, I plan on sticking it out at MCAO my whole life until retirement.”
Simmons is grateful that he chose to purse his paralegal degree at Rio Salado.
“I got a solid foundation of paralegal duties, ethical considerations, and reading and understanding case law, statutes, and legal terminology,” Simmons said. “The program also provided me with the knowledge to use legal research sites such as Westlaw.”
He also happily recommends Rio to students considering their education options.
“Rio Salado is affordable, convenient, and probably one of the best options for someone who’s working full-time,” Simmons said. “The professors are fantastic and are willing to give you the personal attention that is usually unavailable at a university.”
“At large universities, you’re a student ID number. At a smaller community college, you are one of their students and their goal is to have you succeed,” Simmons said.