Happenings
Education Assistance in Action: Felecia Wallace’s Path to a Doctorate
For Palmetto GBA Customer Service Manager Felecia Wallace, continuing her education has opened the door to professional and personal growth. With support from the company’s Education Assistance program, she earned a Master of Information Systems in 2015 and will receive her Doctor of Management with a specialization in Information Systems on November 21.
Putting Education to Work
In her role, Felecia supports a Customer Service team and reviews performance metrics that help the department respond to customers efficiently. Her doctoral research drew from that experience as she explored challenges in a call center environment and how leaders can address concerns before they affect employee morale. The knowledge she gained has influenced how she approaches problems and considers the needs of her team.
Felecia first explored Education Assistance when she decided to pursue her master’s degree in 2015.
“The entire process is easy, and the team that handles it is very supportive,” Felecia said. “They want you to win.”
Before Getting Started
The Education Assistance program helps eligible associates pursue qualifying college degrees by reimbursing a portion of approved educational expenses. Current associates can review the complete policy in OurHRConnect. Drawing from her experience, Felecia encourages associates to:
- Be clear about their educational goals and choose a coarse load they can reasonably manage alongside work and personal responsibilities.
- Understand the program’s grade, reimbursement and documentation requirements and remain accountable throughout the process.
Taking the First Step
Fear has never stopped Felecia. When something makes her question whether she can do it, she takes that feeling as a reason to try. Felecia’s family, particularly her children, inspired her to continue her education. While balancing work, school and personal responsibilities was not always easy, she stayed focused on her goals and developed a schedule that helped her stay on track.
She hopes her accomplishment encourages other associates who may want to return to school but feel uncertain about taking the first step. “I would tell them to find out what is holding them back,” Felecia said. “Anything is possible. You just have to take that step.”
By using a benefit already available to her, Felecia found the answer to a question she once asked herself: Can I really do this? Now, she wants others to know, “If I can do it, you can do it.”
