Ethel Wynn, of Chesterfield, started her pathway to becoming a certified public accountant at Northeastern Technical College. After earning an associate’s degree in accounting at NETC, she transferred to Gardner-Webb University where she is now working toward a bachelor’s degree in accounting.

November 17, 2010
Homemaker Returns to NETC to Build New Career

The first thing Ethel Wynn wants you to know is that she is not a smart person. She is not organized, she is not a morning person, and she doesn’t even really like to cook.

But she also wants you to know that she got all As and one B during her last semester at Northeastern Technical College. With four day classes, one evening class and two online classes, Wynn had to get special permission from the college to take this many classes during her final semester. But this 41-year-old stay-at-home mom from Chesterfield, who homeschools her three children and does tax work and bookkeeping on the side, is determined to get her education.

“The only thing that is going to take you through the rest of your life is your education,” said Wynn, who graduated from NETC with an associate’s degree in accounting in 2009. “And that education can start at Northeastern Technical College.”

This is not Wynn’s first college experience. After graduating high school, she enrolled at NETC, which at the time was Chesterfield-Marlboro Technical College. She earned an associate degree in engineering graphic design and eventually landed a job making good money at the Wal-Mart Distribution Center in Pageland. But in 2007, she left her job to take care of her family and homeschool her children.

For many years, Wynn prepared taxes and did bookkeeping to help make ends meet, but she decided that wasn’t enough to provide for her family or to satisfy her career dreams. She decided to set her sights on becoming a certified public accountant and starting her own professional accounting business.

But first she needed to find a place to help her prepare her skills for this new career.

“The last resume I had was created in 1990,” she said. “So much has changed since then and employers are looking for a whole new set of skills, so I needed a way to update my resume and career skills.”

To help her with the process, Wynn signed up for NETC’s free Success Skills class provided by the Single Parent/Homemaker Nontraditional Education program. Success Skills classes are open to single parents, homemakers and individuals who are interested in nontraditional careers. Participants receive counseling and information about potential career pathways and the relevant training. Wynn learned what classes she would need to take for an accounting degree and filled out an application at the end of the week.

“I knew going back to school while taking care of my family was going to be hard so we had to make some adjustments,” Wynn explained. “My kids had to learn to wash clothes, clean up after themselves, keep the house straight, in addition to their normal chores, and my husband did a lot of things for me that he normally did not do.”

But Wynn knew this is what she and her family needed to do.

“This degree was a means to an end for me and my family.”

Wynn found additional support through NETC’s Student Support Services and her advisor. The staff helped her get the books and materials she needed for her classes and provided tutoring services and assistance through the writing and testing center.

Wynn also relied on her faith to get her through the tough times.
 
“I prayed a lot. I’ve sat down in class and said, ‘I got to pray before this test’ because sometimes, you just don’t have the time to study like you want to,” she said.

Even though Wynn claims she is not a supersmart person, she is now a straight A student at Gardner-Webb University where she is working toward a degree in accounting. She attributes her success to her focus and determination.

“Anybody can further their skills or get an education. You just have to be focused,” Wynn recently told a group of students who were taking advantage of a Success Skills class at NETC.

Wynn was invited to speak to the group about her successes at NETC and to offer advice and encouragement.

“Set goals. Develop a plan. Be proactive in your studies. Take notes. Ask questions when you don’t understand something,” she said before offering some final words of wisdom that were passed along to her by one of her former NETC instructors. 
“And most importantly, don’t miss out on your chance to pursue a college education.”