A college degree paves the way to the U.S. Pentagon for the '86 alumna
To an outsider, Jackie Williams lived a cosmopolitan lifestyle. Her career in the civil service sector meant she was constantly on the move. It may have even seemed enviable - had it not been for the disruption it created in the other aspects of her life.
Williams was faced with a distressing irony - how could she keep up with her escalating career and the rigors of completing a college degree at the same time?
Fortunately, Williams had the fortitude to stay focused on her studies as she moved around the country - and the world - while advancing in her profession and raising her family.
"I have worked for the federal government since 1980, and entered the civil service while working on my associate degree," said Williams, who earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in social sciences in 1986. "During that time, I moved repeatedly while advancing my career in accounting and finance. Thomas Edison State College suited my needs perfectly at a time when no other college could."
Throughout her career, Williams has lived all across the country, from her childhood home in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, to New Jersey, Colorado, Indiana, Ohio, Florida and Taiwan.
Since leaving the civil service in 1997, Williams has developed a consulting career supporting the U.S. government. She now works at the Pentagon, where she focuses on resource management for United States Army headquarters staff.
She credits Thomas Edison State College with making her career possible.
"I don't know that I would have had the career I have without my degree," said Williams. "When I graduated from high school in 1969, there weren't the opportunities that exist today. I worked during the day in New York City and attended community college at night. Colleges were structured for traditional students and I’ve never been a traditional student."
Williams said Thomas Edison State College enabled her to transfer credits earned at her community college and through the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP).
"The College's counselors were caring, informative and always accessible," she said. "After receiving my associate degree in 1980, I was so thrilled with the experience that I continued toward my BA, while working and raising a family."
After graduation, Williams went on to earn a Master of Business Administration degree in financial management from Webster University in Colorado. She also earned her Certified Government Financial Management certification while working for the federal government in Ohio, and earned a Certified Fraud Examiner certification while living in Northern Virginia and working as a consultant to several federal agencies. She has also taught International Finance and English as a Second Language as an adjunct professor.
"Thomas Edison State College has so much to be proud of," said Williams. "I can never begin to thank the staff for their years of assistance"
Williams and her husband, Steve, currently live in Fredericksburg, Va.
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