Denise Browning
My name is Denise Browning. I am a working mother of two. My oldest is a senior in high school and my youngest is a freshman in high school. I went to an inner-city public high school where there was not a whole lot of family participation or encouragement.
I vowed that my husband and I would give our children the best possible education we could provide. We have struggled over the years to send them both to private schools. Tuition was hard to meet, but we vowed to do it no matter what. My son will begin college in the fall. He has been accepted to Thomas More College in Northern Kentucky. My daughter is an honors student who plans to attend Ohio State. In our home, there was never talk about if you go to college; the talk was WHEN you go to college. There is no option as far as I'm concerned.
In today's world, you have to have a degree if you want to succeed. I'm living proof of that. It doesn't matter, at least in my career, how great of a job you do, or how great of a job you could do. What matters is the degree you have earned.
I am proud to say that I was the first in my family to graduate high school. None of my grandparents, neither of my parents, nor any of my older brothers or sister graduated high school.
Life at home was not easy. I struggled daily to study my school work. My parents were both alcoholics. I believe they drank to relieve the stress of raising six children and the trials of having two sons in to drugs, alcohol and even crime. There were many arguments, fights, and battles in my home so some days my only escape was school. I was very proud the day I put on my white cap and gown and received my high school diploma.
During my junior and senior year in high school, my school offered several vocational programs. I chose Office Management Technology. This two-year program taught business math and English, shorthand, office machines, accounting, filing, etc. Towards the end of my senior year, my high school partnered with various businesses that offered co-op jobs for the students in these programs. I went on several interviews and was offered a position at the Greater Cincinnati Water Works. I was not very happy because some of the juniors were being offered positions at various places and the pay range was $5.50-$7.00/hour and the Water Works was only offering minimum wage, which in 1986 was $3.35/hour. I accepted the position, at the urging of my teacher, even though I was feeling a little put out by the small pay.
It's said, everything happens for a reason. Things just began to fall in to place. I believe my strong work ethic and my desire to do a job to the best of my ability has allowed me to get where I am today. Where I work is a Civil Service environment and in order to promote, you must meet the qualifications of the position you want. You then must take an exam. You are placed on a list, ranked by your score. Since 1986, I have promoted six times. I am now as far up the ladder as I can go due to my lack of a college education. This has truly been devastating.
In my previous position, my boss was being promoted to the next higher level. Each of us assistants were asked to confirm what our level of education was. I had to say "No College." Now understand, that I have been employed here twenty-two years, I have worked myself up through the ranks, so I have a considerable amount of knowledge. I was the training supervisor for our call center and I was a great fit. I was able to help so many employees throughout the day because of my experience.
Why I said earlier that it was devastating that I'm as far as I can go is because of this:
The upper managers asked the four other assistants if they would be willing to, at least temporarily, fill in for our boss. They all declined the job is a high stress, fast-paced, position I told them I would do it. The employees, I won't say all, but most, wanted me to manage the section, but because of my lack of education, the answer was "You're not qualified."
I recently transferred out of that job to another division within the department. I honestly could not stand the thought of giving all I was giving to that job and having a manager come in our section that was qualified, but had never worked in our environment. He managed our field operations section.
Before I left that position, I spoke to my top manager. She asked me if I was sure I wanted to change divisions I explained to her that I told my boss I would be willing to take the position; she said she knew that. She thought I would have been able to handle the job; BUT said you're not qualified. WOW, that was devastating twenty-two years with a company, my accumulated years of knowledge, my excellent rapport with the reporting staff, my willingness to do the job (that no one qualified wanted) to be told You're not qualified OUCH.
In summary, I have about eight years to work here before I can retire with full benefits. You can retire after 30 years regardless of your age. I will still be a fairly young retiree I'll be 48, with hopefully lots of years to go. I would love to be able to sit for this job exam the next time; hopefully score as well as I did for my last exam I came out #9 citywide, but I was #1 in my department. There were 74 competitors citywide.
I never want to be told "You're not qualified" again.