Karen Upright A.A. Degree/ University Transfer Florida Community College, Class of 2001

Preparing For The Unexpected

Karen Upright
Florida Community College, Class of 2001

“Education prepares you for the unexpected,” says Karen Upright. “It’s never a waste of time or money to invest in yourself.” She speaks from experience. When she first started taking courses at Florida Community College in the 1980s, she admits she didn’t find a lot of success. Things are different now.

After eventually earning an associate in arts degree (A.A.) at FCCJ, Karen went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Florida State University (FSU). Today, she is pursuing her master’s degree at Purdue University while also working as a systems manager for Procter & Gamble Chemicals in Cincinnati. Preparing for the unexpected really paid off for Karen.

“I was working while attending FCCJ and continued to work full-time while pursuing my degree from FSU,” said Karen. “In my early career, I knew I was competent, but my lack of a college education meant I always felt less qualified than my colleagues.” She has more than made up for it.

Karen owes much of her success to FCCJ. “I needed the small classes and individual attention available at FCCJ to increase my confidence as a student so I could get to the next level. In my case, that meant FSU and then Purdue, both big schools. It was the success I had at FCCJ that taught me that bigger goals were possible. I chose a distance-learning program at FSU, and my current M.B.A. program at Purdue also has a significant distance-learning component. My distance-learning classes at FCCJ prepared me for the challenges of working and studying on my own.”

She has a special fondness for her teachers at FCCJ. “I had some great professors, too many wonderful educators to list them all. And because of the class sizes, you’re able to really connect with professors and get the benefit of their experience and expertise.”

“Also, I chose FCCJ because it was local, accessible and offered a wide range of course formats, from traditional classroom to telecourse, online and hybrid (blended online and classroom work) classes.”

Throughout her academic career, Karen had plenty of support. “My family and friends were very supportive of my efforts and are very proud of me. I was lucky to have them with me throughout the process.”

Even with all her success, Karen still has plenty of other goals in sight. “I’m looking forward to continuing my career at Procter & Gamble and moving into an organizational-leadership and strategy role. I set goals for myself, and I achieve them, but I think it’s important to allow for flexibility in those goals. You never know when something will change.” It pays to prepare for the unexpected!