By Caleb Lunetta

The San Diego Union-Tribune

SAN DIEGO — For most of her adult life, Erika Tello, a 21-year U.S. Navy veteran, has been a firefighter at bases around the world — including her last post as an emergency management supervisor in Bahrain — and worked on some of the most sophisticated battleships out there.

However, since retiring from the military in 2023, Tello, who has an associate degree in fire science and a bachelor’s degree in fire management, said she has faced a competitive job market as a civilian, even with decades of experience under her belt.

She is looking for any edge she can get.

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Last week, Tello became one of 43 students enrolled in Miramar College’s Bachelor of Science in Public Safety Management program, a ne

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