My Tri-C
My Tri-C Student Resources News & Events Corporate College Alumni Give
Paying for College Apply Visit

Getting Started

Whether you want to earn a degree, improve your skills, get certified, train for a new career, or explore a new hobby, you can choose from many programs and courses.

Get Started
What type of student are you?
New Student
Returning
Transfer
Visiting
International
College Credit Plus
Non-Credit
All Student Types

Classes & Programs

Explore your interests and find a program that puts you on the path to a bright future. Tri-C offers both credit and non-credit courses as well as certificate programs in most career fields.

View all programs

Degree Programs & Certificates

More than 1,000 credit courses are offered each semester in more than 200 career and technical programs. Tri-C also grants short-term certificates, certificates of proficiency and post-degree professional certificates.

View A-Z Program List

Workforce Training & Professional Development

Tri-C's Workforce Training provides both non-credit and credit training for individuals and businesses to assist individuals with skills leading to employment. Tri-C's Corporate College provides professional development and corporate training opportunities.

Learn more

Community Programming for Adults & Youth

Tri-C offers a variety of affordable and convenient community programs for both adults and youth. These programs are designed to promote individual development.

Learn more

Request Info

Tri-C is here for you. Have a question about a program or service? We'll help you find the answer.

Ask a Question

Live Chat

Chat live with college departments and services.

Start live chat

Tri-C 24/7

Outside of business hours? Get answers to your questions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Student Support Services

Ask Tri-C

Get answers to your frequently asked questions from navigating the website to programs and services.

Get Answers

Getting Started

Whether you want to earn a degree, improve your skills, get certified, train for a new career, or explore a new hobby, you can choose from many programs and courses.

Get Started
What type of student are you? New Student Returning Transfer Visiting International College Credit Plus Non-Credit All Student Types

Classes & Programs

Explore your interests and find a program that puts you on the path to a bright future. Tri-C offers both credit and non-credit courses as well as certificate programs in most career fields.

View all programs

Degree Programs & Certificates

More than 1,000 credit courses are offered each semester in more than 200 career and technical programs. Tri-C also grants short-term certificates, certificates of proficiency and post-degree professional certificates.

View A-Z Program List

Workforce Training & Professional Development

Tri-C's Workforce Training provides both non-credit and credit training for individuals and businesses to assist individuals with skills leading to employment. Tri-C's Corporate College provides professional development and corporate training opportunities.

Learn more

Community Programming for Adults & Youth

Tri-C offers a variety of affordable and convenient community programs for both adults and youth. These programs are designed to promote individual development.

Learn more
Paying for College
Apply
Visit

Request Info

Tri-C is here for you. Have a question about a program or service? We'll help you find the answer.

Ask a Question

Live Chat

Chat live with college departments and services.

Start live chat

Tri-C 24/7

Outside of business hours? Get answers to your questions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Student Support Services

Ask Tri-C

Get answers to your frequently asked questions from navigating the website to programs and services.

Get Answers
Student Resources News & Events Corporate College Alumni Give

Categories

All Categories Tri-C Eastern Campus Metropolitan Campus Western Campus Westshore Campus Creative Arts Health Careers Hospitality Information Technology Manufacturing Public Safety Events JazzFest Alumni Athletics Faculty #mytricstory Tri-C Famous Student Success Veterans Community Involvement Corporate College Equity In Outcomes Gifts and Grants Pathway Programs Workforce Impact
  • Tri-C Home
  • »
  • News and Events
  • »
  • News
  • »
  • Spring 2021 Graduates: Benedek Toth

The Right Move

Benedek Toth’s veer from marketing to medicine surprised no one more than himself

Benedek TothCalling himself a “lateral career-move student,” Benedek “Bence” Toth, 29, admitted, “I would’ve never in a billion years pictured myself working in medicine. It never really interested me throughout college the first time.”

That first time resulted in a bachelor’s degree in marketing from John Carroll University in 2014, which led to work at a window installation company, as a beer specialist for Heinen’s and in car sales. Eventually, Toth realized that sales was not really what he wanted to do.

“It’s a good career,” he said. “You can make a lot of money with it if you’re hungry, but to me it didn’t seem very rewarding.”

The Rocky River native, now living in Westlake, researched careers that would provide stability with a comparatively low cost of entry. He also wanted to bypass another four-year program.

Interested in the role of surgical technician, Toth asked an anesthesiologist friend to let him observe several operations.

“The bug kind of bit me,” Toth said. “I remember watching the surgeon repair this hernia, and the guy’s abdominal cavity was completely open, and I very literally saw inside his abdomen. Two hours later, after the surgery, the patient was up in a recovery room and chatting with me. It was just amazing to me what modern medicine is like.”

His sister, then in Cleveland State University’s nursing program, said three things about becoming a surgical tech: He could do a lot more with a nursing degree, make more money doing it, and he could become a nursing assistant.

So, nursing it was. Toth followed her advice, and the Westshore Campus student will soon earn his Associate of Applied Science degree in nursing.

Toth has been working as a nursing assistant at the Cleveland Clinic “full-time, part-time, on and off” throughout his education at Tri-C.

“I would absolutely recommend anybody looking to get into this to start working as a nursing assistant because I think it’s very valuable, good experience that helps marry the classroom to real life,” he said. “It’s also a good way to land a job easily after you graduate.”

Now a clinical technician in a medical intensive care unit on the Clinic’s main campus, Toth plans to get his bachelor’s in nursing within three years through the College’s RN-to-BSN nursing continuum, which enables Tri-C nursing graduates to complete their BSN via Cleveland State’s online program while they continue working.

While admitting that nursing school was one of the hardest things he’s ever done, Toth said he “liked the ease of access and the warm and friendly nature” of Tri-C’s program. “I think Tri-C is great in that sense,” he said. “It’s one of the most well-regarded nursing programs in the Cleveland area, and it really doesn’t cost a whole lot compared to other programs.”

Story written by Michael von Glahn.

Cuyahoga Community College will celebrate the academic achievements of its newest graduates during commencement, June 9 at Byers Field at Robert M. Boulton Stadium in Parma. Check our News and Events page leading up to the event as we highlight members of the Class of 2021.

June 07, 2021

Erik Cassano, 216-987-3577 or erik.cassano@tri-c.edu

© 2021 Cuyahoga Community College
700 Carnegie Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44115

Quick Links

Employment at Tri-C
my Tri-C space
Athletics
Blackboard
Bookstore
Course Search
College Catalog
Library
Technical Support
Transcripts

About Tri-C

About
President's Office
Accreditation
Administrative Departments
Accessibility
Board of Trustees
Diversity & Inclusion
Student Consumer Information
Title IX Equal Opportunity
Privacy Policy

Campus Locations

Map & Directions
Parking
Campus Police

Connect With Us

Visit Tri-C
Request Information
Phone Directory
Tri-C 24/7
Ask Tri-C
Live Chat
Tri-C 216-987-6000 Corporate College 216-987-2800