Beate Connette A.S., Industrial Management Technology Florida Community College, Class of 2007

Transatlantic Success

Beate Connette
Associate in Science, Industrial Management Technology
Florida Community College, Class of 2007

For those who know her, it must seem impossible that Beate Connette wasn’t always crazy about school. Growing up in Germany, she originally wanted to become a physical therapist but was put off by the amount of schooling that profession required. Today, Beate is not only a graduate of Florida Community College and NOVA Southeastern University (NSU), but she has also attended several other colleges.

After beginning her professional career as a paralegal, Beate had attended several colleges, following the moves of her military husband. She moved to the U.S. in 1993 and earned her associate in arts degree in the University of Kentucky college system, and she went on to earn a certificate in industrial electronics technology at Louisiana College. “Shortly thereafter, I moved to Jacksonville to come to work for BellSouth Telecommunications as an electronics technician,” Beate said.

In 2004, she was promoted to network manager and started to think about eventually earning a bachelor’s degree to further her management career. Her starting point? FCCJ.

“FCCJ had a good reputation as a community college with emphasis on community,” she said. “After talking with others who attended FCCJ, who had a positive experience, I decided to do some research on my own. I found that FCCJ had a reputation as a good school with convenient locations, manageable schedules and a good variety of courses to choose from.”

There was plenty she found to her liking at FCCJ. “I was both surprised and excited by the quality of the teachers, the opportunities for growth and the helpful staff,” she said. “I found that the teachers were very consistent in trying to get students interested and motivated and drive them to excel. The classroom environments were friendly and conducive to learning, and the variety of students allowed me to feel very comfortable as a non-traditional student.”

“Several of the courses at FCCJ were well above standards compared to a four-year school,” she added.

After FCCJ, Beate went on to NSU, earning her bachelor’s degree in business administration. Today, she works as a project manager for AT&T. “I am also looking to take additional courses at FCCJ to deepen my knowledge,” she said. And eventually she wouldn’t mind following the tradition of the teachers who have influenced her. “In the long run, I would like to be a professor at a two-year college to assist in motivating and teaching young adults.”