Triumph in the face of challenges: my career journey

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My journey from uncertainty to triumph has been filled with challenges, resilience, and unwavering determination. From the obstacles of student loan debt to navigating the complexities of balancing family, career, and education, every twist and turn has shaped me into the person I am today. 

There have been many pivotal moments that have defined my path at Schneider Electric, from seizing opportunities as a line leader to embracing the role of a quality engineer. I have overcome obstacles, furthered my education, and found strength in my support system to achieve my goals. Join me as I share my experiences balancing a rewarding career with the joys of family life. 

Finding my way

Originally from Louisville, KY, I moved to Lexington to attend the University of Kentucky and began college without a declared major. I was eager to leave home and be on my own despite the challenges. I was determined not to fail. It is important I highlight this because to me, failure is giving up and that is not what I was going to do! I was determined to figure things out on my own and find my own way.  

Unfortunately, I racked up student loan debt with ultimately no degree. Finally, I made the decision to withdrawal from school and join the military.

Unexpected changes

At the time, the military had a student loan forgiveness program that would help me pay off my debt and continue my education once I finished training. At 25 years old I joined the Kentucky National Guard with the plan to pay off my student loan debt and use my GI bill to finish college.  
 
Well, that did not happen. I completed basic training and advanced individual training in August, but I did not report to my duty station until October of that year. Within that same month (October) the student loan repayment plan changed, and my plans shifted. 

To qualify with the new changes, I would have had to finish my contract and reenlist to get into the student loan repayment program. This was not part of my plan, and I had to pivot. Facing no way to repay my student loans, I attempted to return to my previous job, only to find that my role had already been filled. At that point there was no way I could go back to college without a job. Going home was not an option – for me, that would be a failure. I had to find a new solution. 

Luckily, I discovered Schneider Electric through a friend and ultimately landed a job here. 

My career journey

I started at Schneider Electric as an hourly employee assembling load center devices and building mechanism housing systems for our safety switches department. Within a year and a half, I became a line leader on second shift for the load center department. Little did I know this was going to open more doors for me within the company.  
 
As a line leader I was responsible for training new employees that came to my line, trouble shoot the line when issues arose and escalate downtime to the support functions and ensure that parts brought to the line were to the quality standard that was provided by our continuous engineering team. I held my line leader role for 6 years but had to step away when I had my first child. I needed a dayshift position to align with my family dynamic, so I took a job as a welding operator for our safety switches department.  

Soon, another door opened for me. It was when I went to dayshift that the first salaried quality technician position was offered in Lexington. I knew I had more to offer the company, so I applied for the quality technician role and got it! This role was interesting to me because as a line leader I was responsible for ensuring that the parts being used on the line had no defects or abnormalities that could affect the life or functionality of the product we built. I believed that this role would provide me with a better understanding of how the defects I saw related to the end user, our customers and I would have the opportunity to help reduce or eliminate the risk instead of just escalating it.  

My career in quality

Getting this job allowed me access to mentors within the company to help me hone my skills and set me up for better opportunities. My career within quality was just getting started.  

As a quality technician, I tested and evaluated products for defects, maintained quality records, identified process improvements, investigated and resolved issues. I also collaborated with diverse teams across the organization (including production, engineering and management) to address concerns and drive continuous improvement efforts. 

Working in quality is a great fit for me because I enjoy the challenge of identifying and resolving issues. I enjoy contributing to the production of high-quality products that met or exceeded customer expectations. I’m proud to directly contribute to continuous improvement efforts and the overall success of the organization.  

I also appreciated the professional growth opportunities in quality management, process improvement, and compliance. Less than a year into my technician role, a quality engineer job opened, and I decided to apply. My experience with Schneider Electric got me into the interview process, but my passion to learn every day is what ultimately got me the job.  

Reflections on my degree

I really enjoyed my role at Schneider, but my determination to secure both the job and the degree was unwavering. While working as a quality engineer, I decided to re-enroll into college again, this time at Eastern Kentucky University (EKU). I was able to transfer my University of Kentucky credits to Eastern Kentucky University and earn my bachelor’s degree. 

Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus pandemic Schneider’s tuition reimbursement program was frozen. I thought my student loan debt would hinder me from being able to afford to finish college and that was not true. I took out a small loan from my 401K to pay for my first two semesters. After my first year at EKU the tuition reimbursement program reopened, and Schneider began to help me financially. In December of 2021 I gave birth to my second child, Alivia, with just three semesters of school left. 

You may be wondering how I managed school on top of a full-time job, a husband and two children. It was hard but I got through it. I had a dedicated support system, internally and externally and I always focused on the end goal…. graduating.  

Advice for balancing work and family life

I am proud of where I am today, and the hard work I put in to get here. By prioritizing and organizing, I was able to balance my work and family life. I set clear priorities to manage time effectively, ensuring that both work and family commitments were addressed. Going in, I knew that going to school while working and taking care of my family would be challenging, so it was critical for me to establish boundaries between work and personal time to prevent work from encroaching on family time, and vice versa.

Not only was it important for me to set boundaries but I needed to ensure that I allowed myself to have moments of self-care. I made time for myself to indulge in personal activities to recharge and reduce stress, which positively impacted both my work and family life. The best advice I can give to someone trying to decide whether to go back to school while working and having a family is to ensure you have a good support system. Seek support from family, friends, and colleagues to help manage responsibilities and navigate challenges. There were so many times that I had to heavily rely on my support system to meet certain homework deadlines or attend zoom meetings for my group projects. It is so important to ask for help when you need it. 

Through my experiences, I hope to inspire others, particularly women facing similar struggles, to believe in their ability to conquer challenges and pursue their dreams. Let’s empower each other to embrace flexibility, resilience, and unwavering determination on our paths to success. Together, we can turn the unexpected into opportunities and achieve the impossible.  

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