Kristy Baron takes charge听
Written by Elizabeth Exline
Around four or five years ago, Kristy Baron was in what鈥檚 known as a stretch assignment at听. This was a role that, in Baron's case, would better position her听 to achieve the听director role she wanted. She鈥檇 been with the company for more than a decade and was preparing for the next step in her career, but she was missing the bachelor鈥檚 degree that was required for director-level positions and higher.听 A bachelor鈥檚 degree, in other words, was a must-have 鈥 and Baron didn鈥檛 have one yet.
鈥淚 had my associate degree, and I was not very far from having my bachelor鈥檚 degree,鈥 Baron recalls. 鈥淚 was a few credits shy, actually. But there were other candidates they were interviewing, and I [didn't yet meet] the requirements, so it was a really emotional journey.鈥
Baron could have blamed the company or resented the policy.
But she doesn鈥檛 think like that. Whether because her parents set an example of hard work and personal accountability, or because she was simply born that way, Baron sees herself as responsible for her future. When things go right, she takes credit. And when things go wrong, she takes charge.
Turning disappointment into motivation
Baron has never shied away from hard work. She worked two jobs when she was in high school, she says, and opted to work full time as soon as she graduated. Taking on debt for higher education wasn鈥檛 something she wanted to do, especially since she was busy with life: She was young when she got married, started a family and moved from California to the Chicago area.
In the Midwest, Baron took a job with UScellular, and she gradually worked her way up from customer care, to management, to the tech side of the house, to sales. 听
After a year, she became听eligible for听tuition assistance听under the company鈥檚 previous policy. She used it to earn her听associate degree in business administration听and, even though it was too late for that first director role she wanted, her听bachelor鈥檚 degree in management.
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鈥淚 kept waiting for what I thought was going to be the perfect time, especially at first as a young mom and then as a second-time mom moving,鈥 Baron says. 鈥淚 was just always waiting for when it was going to be perfect, and it never was. It wasn鈥檛 perfect when I started my bachelor鈥檚 degree program or my associate degree program. Things were going on. Family life was going on. Work was going on. It was never perfect.鈥
Making it work
What was perfect, at least for Baron, was her school choice. She鈥檇 been on the fence about whether to attend in person, online or a hybrid situation when she reached out to her chief human resources officer for input.
鈥淪he was like, 鈥楢t the end of the day, what鈥檚 important is that you are able to get your education in a way that fits in with your life,鈥欌 Baron recalls.
Because 七色视频 (UOPX) is an established leader in online education, Baron was able to听leverage support services听and fit her education in with other obligations at work and home. But the process wasn鈥檛 seamless.
鈥淭here were a couple of times where I prioritized school, and I regretted it; where I didn鈥檛 go to something because I was doing schoolwork and there was this negative feeling of missing out,鈥 Baron says. 鈥淪o, I immediately swapped that and was like, 鈥業 have to find the time for school that is not interfering with these other things.鈥
Once she got into a rhythm, Baron found other positive reinforcement. Her son, for example, watched her study and do homework and cheered her on. And her team at UScellular supported her in more ways than just financially.
鈥淚 had leaders who would say, 鈥業 can鈥檛 believe that you鈥檙e running Sunday school, you鈥檙e doing your kids鈥 sports, you鈥檙e performing well here, and then you got an A in economics,鈥欌 Baron says. 鈥淚t just felt like they cared.鈥
Benefits beyond the diploma
Baron may have pursued higher education for career reasons, but the payoff has transcended the promotion she once wanted. As a first-generation college graduate, she was able to walk at commencement in front of extended family who鈥檇 traveled from throughout the country just to see her do it. (She even inspired a few to consider going back to school themselves.)
It has also sparked in her a desire to continue learning. She鈥檚 currently enrolled in the MBA program at UOPX, and she prioritizes giving back when it comes to her knowledge and expertise.听Mentorship is something she takes seriously, partly because she has directly benefited from good mentors and partly because it鈥檚 just who she is. Watching junior employees rise to new levels in the organization is something she savors.
鈥淪he is incredibly knowledgeable and willing to share what she knows from both her professional and personal life,鈥 observes Christine Paulsen, who鈥檚 worked with Baron for the past two years. 鈥淪he is also respectful and a good listener. She balances her airtime very effectively, so you know when she is choosing to share, you should take that moment to listen.鈥
And that missed promotion that started it all? Well, Baron has made good there too. Today, she is the director of DevSecOps Retail and Care Platforms at UScellular, and she鈥檚 never looked back.
鈥淚n the moment [when I missed that first promotion], I really think it solidified for me my motivation to continue on, even past my bachelor鈥檚 degree and go for my master鈥檚, which I鈥檓 close to finishing,鈥 she says. 鈥淚 never wanted that to be an issue again.鈥
For the record, it hasn鈥檛.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Elizabeth Exline has been telling stories ever since she won a writing contest in third grade. She's covered design and architecture, travel, lifestyle content and a host of other topics for national, regional, local and brand publications. Additionally, she's worked in content development for Marriott International and manuscript development for a variety of authors.
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