Learner Autobiography

By sbthomas85

  • My life began

    This is the day my journey of life began.

  • Early childhood education began/Indirectly learned that education was not important

    My early childhood memories were bitter sweet with me beginning kindergarten one year early because I was considered "smart". However, there was no reinforcement of what I learned in school at home and there were no consequences, which led me to doing less and less and solely relying on what I learned in school.

  • High School began/Mentoring began

    My poor learning practices continued throughout high school and college. I did not believe in myself. Fortunately, I had a high school teacher who planted seeds into me daily. she would say to me, "Shawn, you have a beautiful smile" or "Shawn, you should be a reporter". She began mentoring me.

  • College Began/Continued Poor Work Habits

    My poor learning habits continued through high school and on to college. I had the impression that if I obtained a degree with a minimum average and someone else was above average, we were equal because we both obtained degrees.

  • Graduated from College/Poor work ethics backfired

    My poor work ethics backfired on me. After believing that grade point average did not matter and believing that mediocre was acceptable, I soon realized that I was not as competitive and my choices for employment after college were limited.
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    My career in retail management began/Part of the backfire

    I spent several years managing retail organizations.
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    My Ten Year Career at SunTrust Bank

    Worked Ten Years in Banking
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    Began my Master's Degree at Mercer University

    Began my Master's with new work ethics and that is to do all things in the spirit of excellence.
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    Began my pursuit of a PhD

    If it were not for my early childhood experiences, I would not be where I am today.