UET Online Magazine

Andrea Brown may credit luck for some of her career path, but hard work and using the Union Education Trust benefit are the keys to her next employment move.

Brown, a Senior Financial Analyst for the Ohio EPA, began working for the State of Ohio two and a half years ago when she and her family moved from the Dayton area back home to Logan and she was able to get a job in an administrative support role with the EPA.

“I wanted to stay in the public sector so I was thrilled to find the EPA office,” Brown said of getting that role. “I couldn’t ask for anything better. I immediately started applying to anything I was qualified for.”

Brown has a degree in business as well as experience in not-for-profit work and finance. When the Senior Financial Analyst job became available in February, she applied.

“All the stars aligned to give me the opportunity to move up to this position,” she said. “I really love my new role. It’s rewarding.”

However much Brown enjoys what she is currently doing, she’d also like to take on a different role in the agency, which is why she’s studying for her bachelor’s degree in environmental science.

“I decided to pursue that because the EPA needs scientists,” Brown said. “To continue to grow and get out into the field, I need a relevant degree.”

Brown is taking classes through Southern New Hampshire University’s online program because that is the best fit for her, living in a rural area of Ohio and being a non-traditional student with a job and family. Fortunately for Brown, UET benefits can be used for both online and in classroom educational opportunities.

“It has worked out really well for me taking classes in the evenings and weekends,” Brown said, explaining that there are deadlines throughout the week for coursework. “It’s tough to have a family and work and go to school, but it’s do-able.”

Brown has five classes left to take for her degree or about a year to go. Her favorite classes have been the geology classes, but she has also enjoyed other classes like geography for getting a whole world view.

“When I am looking at rock formations I see and understand so much more. I get an idea of their composition based on their shape and color,” Brown said, explaining that since the classes, she has a richer experience when she goes on hikes in the Hocking Hills region. “It really put into perspective the age of things around us and how things were formed. You look at these giant rock formations where the sediment was deposited 350 million years ago.”

Brown also learned from the classes that weren’t as interesting: “I learned that I can do it. I can push through,” she said.

She has advice on time management for anyone considering taking an online course: “Schedule it and stick to it. Don’t leave the work all for the weekends. You’ll miss out on your weekend fun if you leave it until then,” Brown said. “I wake up early, before the sun comes up, and can do an hour or two then.”

“Look at your schedule and decide what time of day works best for you. Chip away at it all week long,” she said.

A member of OCSEA Chapter 3700-Hocking, Brown recently added two other commitments to her full schedule: She is now a steward and president of the chapter and has joined EPA’s labor-management committee.

“I just wanted to serve. It’s important to get the word out about all that the union does for us,” Brown said. “I want to help answer questions and keep people informed of all the benefits.”

Brown promotes UET to her co-workers, praising the program’s online portal and seamless funding, which is reimbursement in her case.

“I’ve been very open that I’ve been pursuing a second degree. In general conversation, I share that these funds are available,” Brown said. “I tell them about the process and how easy it is.”

Brown also praised how the UET funding is based on the fiscal year: “The most useful feature of UET is that the money resets every year,” she said. “That gives you the ability to schedule around the fiscal year for taking classes.”

“We’re saving for our son’s college right now so I would not have pursued my degree if not for UET,” Brown said. “It’s just not in our budget.”

Studying for her bachelor’s degree has had an impact on how she does her job, Brown said.

“It’s helped me be more involved. I understand the EPA programs better,” she said. “Taking these classes has enabled me to grow. People know that I’m looking for growth and I’m willing to work to get where I want to go.”

Brown encourages others to be deliberate as they consider how to use their UET benefit: Decide what job you’d like to do and research what skills or education it requires. She suggested talking with HR to learn what you need for minimum qualifications. If you need help getting started on a future possible career path, FOCUS, an online exploration tool, is made available by UET to all eligible State BU members who create an account at uedtrust.org.

Another piece of advice Brown has is to network with people who have the job that you want to have.

“Look at what you want to do. You can dream: Where do you really see yourself? What do you want to be doing? Go down the path that you want to go down. That’s what the UET money is for,” Brown said.