When Marilyn Ong of San Bruno, California, decided to resume her long paused master’s degree, she was no stranger to the classroom. After 13 years of teaching math, she was interested in a new career that could use her expertise. With Verizon Skill Forward, Ong discovered a wealth of free, online learning resources at her fingertips. Her first surprise while taking the courses was how she felt about data analytics, a topic she’d expected to enjoy. “Sometimes you think that you’re going to be really good at this one thing, but you’re not that interested [in it],” she explains. Deciding to be brave and try new, unfamiliar topics, Ong started exploring. “Luckily because everything was offered for free, I decided to dig into sustainability, and circular economy to be specific—and it was so fascinating,” Ong says. In courses like Engineering Design for a Circular Economy, Strategic Communication for Sustainability Leaders, and Sustainable Packaging in a Circular Economy, Ong found a true...