Take a moment to remember what you were doing in 1978. If you are participating in today’s Commencement ceremonies, there’s a good chance you weren’t born yet. And if you are one of today’s proud parents, chances are your child wasn’t even on your radar.
But Brenda Cass was just starting college at Marquette University.
Now, nearly 30 years later, Cass is the recipient of a diploma from University College in Arts & Sciences, having earned a bachelor’s degree in managerial economics.
Nearly three decades ago, a funny thing happened on the way to a traditional four-year undergraduate career. Cass — the oldest of three children — helped her mother raise her two younger brothers. She worked on the side. And she had a child of her own.
After taking some time off from school, she started taking part-time classes in general business at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. And the rest is history.
“While attending school part-time, I started my career in the brokerage industry at a small regional firm in Milwaukee,” Cass says. “After several years of working 60-70 hours a week, I was promoted to a management role. I eventually was promoted to director and senior vice president of investment products.”
Then, the company relocated its operations to New Jersey, but she found herself preferring to remain in the Midwest. After 18 years of Milwaukee life, she moved to Chesterfield, Mo., to take a position with Edward Jones, where she is a group leader of cash operations.
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University College in Arts & Sciences |
Along the way, her interest in business grew and grew until she decided to make it the basis of her career — and her education.
But it wasn’t always so.
“I can honestly say that earlier in my career, although I studied business, I did not start to embrace the concepts until I was in my early 20s,” she says. “I think it was when I opened my first 401(k) statement after two years of investing my meager $20 a week and found that I had accumulated $6,000. ‘Wow, maybe I should pay attention!’
“Since then, even though I do not sell, I have become a licensed broker and been part of the development of several investment-product programs for various correspondents. I also discovered I had a talent for helping people achieve and improve their performance.”
After settling in with Edward Jones, she decided she wanted to complete her degree. Several of her co-workers recommended University College, and she found just what she was looking for.
“I am a very pragmatic person, so consequently I was very pleased by the fact that classes were taught by industry professionals with practical application,” she says.
“Classroom discussions were always useful and, just as important, I built some wonderful relationships with classmates and instructors.”
Don’t think that now, with one degree in hand, things will finally slow down for her.
In fact, Cass might not want things to slow down.
“The thing I love about Brenda is her energy,” University College adviser Jane Paris says. “She’ll do whatever it takes to get it done. I’ve had advising appointments with her while she’s in an airport in Phoenix waiting for her rental car on a business trip.
“She’s committed to her education, her career and her family, and she manages everything with a really positive outlook.”
Cass anticipates pursuing an advanced degree at WUSTL in the next few years, and with several semesters of college-level Spanish and French under her belt, she is strongly thinking of going back for a degree in one, if not both, languages.
Oh, and she’s a recent grandmother, too, so not all of her time will be occupied with school or work.
“Staying focused is hard when you juggle multiple priorities,” she says. “It requires a great deal of mental discipline and personal sacrifices in my life.
“My strength comes primarily from my family members. They are always the catalyst that keeps me focused on pursuing higher education.
“My mother, Betty Garrett, is the source of my uncompromising work ethic. She taught me the value of giving your best in every effort that is important to you.
“My daughter, Shaunda Cass, looks to me to set an example and believes in whatever I do. She taught me the importance of accepting people for who they are and that most of us are just ‘scared.’
“And my grandson, Nijal Ford, the latest addition to my family, is my inspiration to keep striving so that I can share with him positive experiences that will provide value in his life.”