Read about Mary's philosophy on people-first leadership and how integrity and empathy can define a career, even without a degree.
Mary began to work straight out of high school. Her father, a local politician, leveraged his connections to help her find work in local government. Mary began as an entry-level cashier and was promoted to cashier manager. As a supervisor, Mary’s philosophy was, “you’re only as good as your people”. She aimed to create an environment where her staff felt supported and treated with respect.
“As a manager, I felt anything I had been wronged on, I could undo.” She felt it was important to give honest and consistent feedback and to provide support when employees are struggling. She says, “When you give someone an evaluation, it should never be a surprise. If they are having problems, you should be telling them on a daily basis, no matter how hard it is”. Mary believes her efforts paid off. “I think I was well-respected and I hired a couple of supervisors under me who were well-respected. We were a good team”.
Unfortunately, after her boss lost a bid for reelection, Mary found herself unemployed for the first time in 20 years. This was when she realized the challenges related to not having a college degree. “I lost my job … It’s 2005. That’s the time when people want people with college.” Mary succeeded at finding new jobs both in nonprofit and the public sector but she never quite found the same good fit again. She is now retired.
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