Getting a college degree was something that always felt impossible to Amy. Between working full-time and raising young children, the timing never seemed right.

She kept her goals on hold until a mentor at Bell mentioned Textron’s Education Assistance Program. That conversation opened a door Amy did not know she had.

Amy is now a configuration manager at Bell with a bachelor’s degree, a master’s of business administration degree, and a professional certification she once thought was out of reach.

Amy joined Bell in 2016 with an associate degree after a friend in the Contracts department encouraged her to apply. She was excited about the role, but she couldn’t help thinking about how continuing her education could create opportunities she had never had before.

“Everywhere you went, you had to have higher education,” said Amy. “And education is not cheap, especially when you’re a young mom and working full time.”

At the time, a degree felt financially and logistically unrealistic.

DISCOVERING TEXTRON’S EDUCATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

While working in Contracts, Amy was assigned a mentor whose husband was pursuing his graduate degree. During one of their conversations, her mentor mentioned Textron’s Education Assistance Program.

“She kind of walked me through it, and I was stoked,” Amy recalled. “I was like, ‘Oh man, I could get my bachelor’s, which means I could maybe move into a different position.’”

Soon after, she enrolled in a business administration program, using the education assistance benefit to help cover tuition.

The education assistance program supports employees pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees, as well as certifications such as CPA and A&P licenses. Eligible employees can receive up to $8,000 per year for undergraduate programs and up to $10,000 per year for graduate programs at accredited universities.

As she worked toward her degree, her career at Bell continued to move forward. She transitioned from Contracts into a Departmental Assistant role. In 2020, she earned her bachelor’s degree along with a certificate in human resource management.

After completing her degrees, she earned a configuration management certification, strengthening the expertise she brings to her current role.

While Amy checked off one goal, she was eyeing another.

FINISHING HER BACHELOR’S DEGREE GAVE HER MOMENTUM

“I finished my bachelor’s and thought to myself, you know what, I’d really love to get an MBA,” she said.

In 2022, Amy enrolled in an online Master of Business Administration program at the University of Oklahoma. As she moved through the coursework, she began seeing direct connections between what she was learning and her role on the Configuration Management team.

What she studied in class showed up in her daily work.

Amy completed her MBA in 2024. Bell continued to provide opportunities for her to grow and expand her skills. With her degrees finished, she earned a configuration management certification, strengthening the expertise she brings to her current role.

“I think about how that time could have passed, and I could have done nothing,” she said. “Instead, I decided to go to class and now I am certified.”

BALANCING WORK, SCHOOL, AND FAMILY

Amy knows her success would not have been possible without her family’s support. While she was balancing work, school, and family, she relied on discipline, planning, and support from the people around her.

“My family was always encouraging. They kept me focused on the positive, especially during the long study nights or study weekends,” she said. “My leaders and co-workers were equally supportive. They celebrated my milestones, offered flexibility when I needed it, and showed a genuine interest in my progress.”

Her secret was setting small, achievable goals and carving out time whenever she could. There were plenty of nights when she brought her laptop to her daughter’s gymnastics practice, typing away on homework while watching her flip across the mat.

“It means so much to work for a company that values development and invests in its employees,” she said. “Knowing that my employer supports my education and professional growth just motivates me to keep learning.”