Going back to school

Anthony Banks

Banks, 43, is a husband, father and senior vice president/commercial banking group manager at PNC Bank. So why is he going to school two nights a week and doing mounds of homework?

“Because education is important in our house, and I want to be a role model for my kids,” said Banks, who is working on a MBA degree at Kennesaw State University. “The MBA was always a personal challenge of mine. I’d looked into different programs, but never enrolled.

“Then my uncle, who went into the Marines for 20 years right after high school, got his bachelor’s degree. He went on for his MBA; that was inspiring.”

Banks choose the MBA program at Kennesaw State University because it’s a good value, flexible and close to home. By doubling up on classes and taking some intense mini-mester courses, he hopes to complete the two-year program in 18 months and graduate in June.

With the required courses behind him, Banks is focusing on elective classes in leadership and organizational behavior.

“I’ve been in management [for] seven years, but these courses are sharpening my tools,” he said. “Group projects force you to think critically and broadly and to resolve conflicts.

“My goal is to coach people to their full potential, so everything I’m learning I can apply in my job.”

Already on an advanced  career track, Banks believes earning an MBA will enhance his abilities. He also doesn’t want a lack of that  degree to be a knockout factor  in getting  more opportunities.

“I’d rather have what I don’t need, than need what I don’t have,” he said.

He’s been transparent about grades and projects with his family and knows they are proud of him.

“I consider this a long-term investment and it helps to know there’s an end to the game, because not finishing has never been an option,” he said.

Kenyata Arnold

Arnold, 35, was enrolled at Atlanta Technical College when a serious car accident interrupted her studies at age 19. She went on to marry, raise a 15-year-old son and work in human resources for the Georgia Department of Public Health.

She went  back to college in 2009, when a friend encouraged her to attend an information session at Point University, a Christian college with campuses in West Point and Atlanta.

“They said, 'Let’s pray before the meeting starts,’ and I thought this is where I need to be,” said Arnold, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership.

After discovering  that accelerated classes met only one night a week for five weeks and seeing other working students succeed, Arnold decided that “if they can do it, I can do it.”

Arnold wanted to advance her career, but she also wanted to be an example for her teenage son. “I figured I could tell him that college was a gateway to a better life, or I could show him,” she said.

She worked full time, studied most nights and still managed to attend  her son’s ballgames.

Arnold earned an associate degree and walked with the graduating class in May 2012. Her husband, son and other family members were all there to cheer her on.

“It was awesome. One of the pictures is now the screensaver on my phone,” she said. “I heard my son tell a friend, 'My mom graduated college. You should have been there.’ I could tell he was excited for me.”

Arnold expects to earn her BS in organizational leadership in May 2014. Her 3.9 GPA has earned her a HOPE scholarship.

Last year, she was promoted  to HR recruiter in her department.

“I’m enhancing my career and my life, and I may even go on for a master’s degree so that I can move into leadership roles or teach,” she said.

Tina Robinson

Robinson, 41, went to secretarial school straight out of high school and worked in offices and as a cosmetologist while  she raised three children by herself. A job at a hospital introduced her to the health care field, but she lacked the skills to work as a medical secretary.

“I ended up as an administrative assistant at a Boston college and going to school part time,” she said.

When that job ended, Robinson moved to Atlanta in 2011 and began job hunting. She couldn’t find a job, but Georgia Department of Labor officials encouraged her to get more training, and helped her secure tuition assistance through the CobbWorks program.

“I chose MedTech College in Marietta, and I got a good education there. If you’re willing to work, the instructors work with you. They won’t allow you to fail,” Robinson said.

She earned a certificate as a medical office expert and a billing and coding specialist in June 2012. She planned  to go to work, but her 15-year-old daughter, Jasmin, was diagnosed with cancer.

“I have a lot of nurses in my family and they had told me to go into nursing, but I wasn’t interested then. Going through treatment with my daughter made me see things differently,” Robinson said.

Today, she’s enrolled in an associate degree program to become a medical assistant. After graduating, she plans to get a job and go to school part time to become a nurse.

“Learning clinical skills is easier now that I’ve seen what my daughter went through and how important the nurses were,” Robinson said.

It’s a struggle. Her oldest daughter moved back home to help care for her sister and brother, so that Robinson can attend class and work part time on campus.

“I’m glad that my kids can see how hard it is. They’re proud of me and glad that I’m getting to the place I want to be,” she said. “I tell them that education is important and worth the struggle. School is definitely the key to doing what you want to do.”