A Matter of Priorities
CollegePlus!
student Brittany Crist learns how to balance work, study, and
relationships
The
age-old dilemma: how can a recent college graduate
get hired when every employer
is asking for applicants with work experience?
And besides, a lot of students need to earn tuition
money for college in addition to their regular living expenses.
It’s
impossible to do that without obtaining some form of employment.
As a credit to their high
level of motivation, many CollegePlus! students are meeting their own
financial needs and a bunch are working in a field that they love. In
this way, they are earning enough money for college and having fun to
boot!
Meet
Brittany Crist, BSBA in Accounting ‘06
One
of these students is Brittany Crist, an accounting major
who is on the verge of graduating from Thomas
Edison State
College.
She’s going to complete her degree in less than two years
while working a part-time job and maintaining close ties with
her family and friends. Yet,
according to Brittany, getting her degree while working hasn’t been easy. “I find myself
thinking, ‘When
life settles down I will…’ But there will always
be something else,” she said.
Making It Practical
Prior
to the job she has now, Brittany landed an internship completing
payroll for a local tax accounting firm near her home
in northwestern Illinois. She said the opportunity was a perfect
fit. “I wanted some practical training to know how accounting
worked in real life,” she said. The company is only ten
minutes from Brittany’s “house in the boondocks,” as
she called it.
The
internship ended after April 15 of this year—when
the accounting firm’s busy season was over—but God
lined up another job for Brittany at a Christian college less
than an hour from her home. She got the job through an elder
at her church. “He said he was going to retire and wanted
to know if I could take his job.” But Brittany laughingly
admits that his position was a little more than she was qualified
for. “They placed me as an assistant over the accounts
payable. It’s nice,” she said, “because it’s
flexible.” She works two days a week there.
Keeping the Right Perspective
Brittany
said that her CollegePlus! coach, Christie Ballmann, has
helped her keep the right perspective on life despite her
rigorous study and work schedule. Speaking of Christy, Brittany
noted that “she would tell me that life is not about
ourselves—we
are here to serve those around us.” This counsel has
helped Brittany better minister to her family and others. “Some
friends of mine were moving,” she recalled, “and
Christie encouraged me to postpone my [next CLEP] test a few
days so that I could help them.”
As
a true mentor, Christie would frequently recommend books she
was reading and challenged Brittany to memorize passages of
Scripture.
How God Has Used CollegePlus!
As
Brittany’s graduation draws closer, she expresses appreciation
for the ways in which God has used CollegePlus! to impact her
life. “You’ve all been an inspiration to me so
much beyond academics. I have been truly blessed by Collegeplus!
Thank
you all and may God continue to bless your ministry!”
