After years of supporting her husband and two sons, Nancy Flores decided it was time to focus on herself. Through the Code Enforcement Training program at Santiago Canyon College, she was able to find a new career that satisfies her and serves her community.
Nancy, 47, said that while her sons, now 20 and 15, were growing up, she worked part-time. Her husband, a firefighter, supported the family.
“I worked part-time just to provide a little bit of money. I wanted to be available to them so I could be there for them,” she said.
In 2019, she enrolled at Santiago Canyon College, although she wasn’t sure what she wanted to study. She decided on the code enforcement program.
“I was at a point in my life where I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do,” Nancy said. “In talking with my counselor, we went through many options, and this was the one that was most appealing to me. This is another way of contributing to the community I grew up in, in a different way. This is the path that I wanted to take.”
The Code Enforcement Officer Training program prepares students to become public servants whose primary duties are the prevention, detection, investigation, and enforcement of violations of the law relating to public health and safety, public works, building standards, and zoning and municipal codes. The average salary for a code enforcement officer ranges from $43,410 to $91,730 a year.
Flores said that in addition to guidance from her counselor, Amanda Campbell, all her instructors at Santiago Canyon College have been supportive.
“They are always there to answer any questions,” she said. “So many of the instructors work in code enforcement. Their experience and knowledge is awesome.”
Campbell said she talked with Nancy about her background and worked with her to help her decide to focus on the code enforcement program.
“We talked about what classes she would be taking, and which program was the best for her situation,” Campbell said. “She was really eager and determined. She asked a lot of questions and was really on top of it.”
Campbell said the Business and Career Education Department at the college also has a job developer to help students to get internships and connect with employers. Many of the instructors also work in the industry, providing more networking opportunities for students.
“There’s a just a lot of great support from our department to make sure students are successful to reach their goals,” Campbell said.
Within a few months of graduating from the program this year, Nancy was hired as a code enforcement associate with the city of Santa Ana. She works in the field and in the office.
Nancy said she enjoys talking to residents to educate them on the importance of code enforcement and to help them with issues. As a resident of Santa Ana most of her life, she said she feels a deep connection to the area. She sees her role working in code enforcement as an important one for her community.
“I grew up in this city and I want to see it do better,” Nancy said. “I want people to understand why its important to keep our community clean and safe. This job is so needed because there’s so much misinformation about code enforcement.”
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