Darian Stoica thinks of herself as a “big picture kind of girl.” The 21-year-old student plans to leave Beaufort County Community College with three degrees and little debt as she barrels through life on her course to the top. As she sees it, she will have a tough couple of years, but after college she can enjoy a rewarding career.

Stoica had been working at a pet store when she saw her fiancé Ben Buzzell’s insulin costs go from $15 to $350 from one day to the next. She was on a yearlong break from college after having a terrible experience at another academic institution.

“That was the day I decided I needed to come back to school,” she said. “We can’t live like this forever. You need insulin. You need health care. We both need health care,” she recalled telling Buzzell. She wanted to ensure that the two of them would lead more comfortable lives than their parents.

Initially thinking that she would enjoy doing medical coding from home, she enrolled in the medical office administration program at BCCC. She also picked up a work-study position that eventually led her to a position with the admissions office at the college. It was here that she found her passion for working in an office. Her mother had worked as an office assistant at a church, so the position reinforced her childhood experiences.

“I was asked to work in admissions, based on my first work-study position. I just really like office work. My mom’s been a secretary her whole life. It’s something I’m really good at. I guess it’s in my blood: secretary,” Stoica said.

She paused as she sorted through her aspirations. While she has inherited her mother’s love for office work, she has also inherited her father’s immigrant spirit. Her grandfather fled a dictatorship in Romania on a raft.

“I’d like to go get a bachelor’s, and not be a secretary. I’d like to be above a secretary,” she said.

Stoica found a way to use her scholarships to get the classes she needs to complete an additional degree in office administration at no extra cost. She also plans to pick up an associate degree, meaning that when she transfers to East Carolina University to pursue a management degree, she will start with three associate degrees under her belt.

At BCCC, she has really found her place. She is an ambassador for the college, a program she had previously participated in at another college. Being an ambassador has been a highlight of her experience. When the BCCC Foundation held a silent auction two weeks ago, Stoica crafted earrings to sell at the auction.

She has also had a great experience with the faculty at BCCC.

“The faculty come down to your level. They love you. They want to see you succeed,” Stoica said.

With her big-picture determination, Stoica will have an easy time succeeding. Office work, office management or top-level administration — she has the maturity and strategy to keep the big picture just a small step away.