Spotlight on Success: Justina Thornton
Machias Savings Bank

Justina began her banking career last year after twelve years in the medical field in various administrative roles. And, she took off with a bang! Justina earned the following awards to support her transition into the world of banking:

Reflecting on earning these awards Justina said, “I would say that each of these awards has equally had an impact on my career where I am so new to the banking world as my adult working life has been centered around the medical field. However, Principles of Banking helped me get a better understanding of basic concepts of the banking world. I would highly recommend the course to anyone new to the industry for sure! Especially, if you get to take a class with our own Wendy Schors, who is an absolute wealth of knowledge!”

As a community bank, Machias Savings Bank has a positive and strong culture. “MSB is amazing at supporting your growth, not only as an employee but also as an individual. They put a lot of effort into wanting you to be the absolute best version of yourself in every aspect of your life. They offer us life coaching, multiple LinkedIn learning opportunities, ongoing training in our roles, and of course the multiple offerings from CFTEA! This is a powerful recommendation at a time when many people are looking for the right fit in their careers. “We have to know a lot in our role, and we are always learning. Transitioning from health care to banking made me feel like a fish out of water because I was so confident in my previous role. The support from my wonderful supervisor and an amazing team of co-workers, helped me gain confidence. I decided to see what CFTEA could do to help me gain more confidence in my new role.”

Balancing home, family, and work while furthering your education is not an easy task. “I definitely completed way more than I planned to, but some certificates were within reach because they required some courses I had already taken. That gave me an extra push to meet the award ceremony deadline and I surprised even myself if I’m being honest. Once I got close to completing a course, I set a goal to have it finished by the time I had my 90-day evaluation. And shortly, I had had more courses under my belt. I just figured I would see what else looked reachable to me, and one by one I just worked on the others. Most courses were self-paced online learning and I loved that CFTEA offered that type of course because they are much more manageable when balancing your work/home life.”

After reaching these accomplishments in her new career, Justina reflected, “I would encourage anyone to at least take a look at the courses and start with ones that are easier and more self-paced. Then you can do them with less stress and at your convenience. CFTEA makes these courses much more reachable than I think people realize. Some of them look a little daunting, but you don’t have to jump into the super hard ones. Start easy and see where it takes you!”

What is next for Justina during the summer? “My next education step is to take a break for the summer and enjoy my kids and family. I’ve used my allotted budget finishing up courses at the very beginning of the year, but I am going to be looking to see what else I can take next year to further my education.” Amazing job, Justina! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience and thoughts. Congratulations and we wish you the best in your new career at Machias Savings Bank!

 

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