TAMMY LANE
AC1502868
EN1100.64 Achieving Academic Excellence
Writing Assessment 5 06

"Why college education is important to me."

At 51 years old I decided to pursue a college degree to enhance my resume initially but ultimately to remove limitations.

I have worked in the Accounting field for about 20 years, for a variety of small family owned businesses in the construction industry. I enjoyed the accounting field, Accounts Receivables explicitly challenged me, and I was good at it. Working predominately at for small family owned businesses that have both benefits and challenges, for me the benefits accommodated my life. While raising children as a single Mother the “family businesses” provided the flexibility that allowed me to attend school events, doctor’s appointments and life events that presented themselves or were important to me. I began my career in accounting processing invoices, today I manage an Accounting Department for a medium size construction company. I was fortunate to have co-workers or supervisors that mentored me and encouraged me to expand my knowledge and hands-on experiences in accounting that was invaluable to me.

I have been at my current position for a little over eight years, my career seemed to be set, and this is where I would be till I retired. Until one day, I experienced sexism toward a female co-worker in what was a predominately male business. The realization that I worked for a company that would condone those types of business practices not only infuriated me it initiated my desire to change jobs. I had spent 20 years working in Accounting, so I naturally I began to search for accounting positions in which I felt qualified. I found in my search for a new job that the lack of a college degree not only limited my options; it also limited my earning potential. Limited? I had spent 20 years in this field,