“I Never Thought I Could Do This… Until CFTEA” – from Board Member, Melissa Greene

When I began my banking career as a teller, I was encouraged to enroll in the foundational course Principles of Banking. I did not know at the time what one course could do, or the ways that learning could expand my career path. What I knew was that I was a young wife and mother who never thought it would be possible to earn a college degree. I was facing financial worries and deep personal fears about fitting into any kind of educational program. I was inexperienced, overwhelmed, and very confused about life transitions. I did not want to be seen as lacking knowledge because of a lack of college readiness. But more than that, I also kept feeling guilty and anxious when I thought about withdrawing from family responsibilities to pursue some vague idea about developing a “career.”

Enter CFTEA. Not only did it fit right into my busy life, but the Center also showed me that I was smart enough to move into a forward-thinking education program, one that had been specifically designed to support my needs and reduce my insecurities. Once I safely tucked my kids into bed, I could take a breath and sit down in the quiet hours of the evening to engage in my own scholastic pursuits, right at my kitchen table. It was perfect. I still remember my huge increase in self-confidence as the Bank President awarded me my diploma in General Banking. Did I really just do this? And the answer was “yes.” I had successfully completed an entire educational program – and all because of CFTEA.

After earning that first diploma, I went on to earn several more as I found that the courses where not only educational but pertained to all areas of my career in banking. Several years went by and my manager asked me if I was now ready to apply to a local college and receive a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. My brain was saying “no,” that I was absolutely not ready for this kind of educational commitment, but deep down I really wanted to go. After a few (hundred) nudges from my manager, I realized that it was something that I truly wanted.

I discovered that many of my CFTEA courses were transferable, which gave me a head start. I began to believe that getting my Bachelor’s degree might actually be attainable, that I might actually be able to manage college-level expectations. As it turns out, all of my work through CFTEA had provided me with a wide range of academic skills that I needed to become both an effective manager, and a successful college student. CFTEA had taught me to always strive to be the best version of myself, and now I was exactly where I never thought I would be — an adult learner, working full-time, and working on a four-year degree that ultimately took me six years to attain. Fitting a full-time life together with a full-time degree sometimes takes a little longer.

For the past ten years I have been a CFTEA instructor, and I am privileged to support the development of our employees as they work to obtain certificates and diplomas. My job as Vice President of Human Resources is maintaining positive relationships with our employees, which includes talent management and training. I feel truly blessed to have the opportunity to share in our employees’ excitement as they explore their own educational dreams and discover their own career paths through CFTEA. Onwards and upwards.