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By WU student, Delaney Elder

Most students at Warner University are typically traditional students. It’s truly a blessing to have the opportunity to attend college soon after graduating high school, and then be able to continue through years of studying to graduate with that degree. Though more often than not, life has a way of disrupting our plans.

Sometimes students will find themselves in a position where they’re unable to keep moving forward with their studies and achieve the degree they wanted from the beginning. Sadly, most of those students never find the right time to enroll again, but that wasn’t how Kerry’s story was written.

Kerry Kaminski graduated from Warner University with a bachelor’s degree in business management. After graduating from Palm Beach Community College with her AA, she had to put her bachelor’s on hold until she found the opportunity to study again later in the 90’s. 

Kerry Kaminski with her daughter.

She was a single mom at the time and needed a school that would accommodate her hectic schedule as a parent in order to accomplish the goal she’d put on hold so long ago. At the time, Warner offered fast-track courses for nontraditional students that lasted a month each, totaling 40 hours by meeting every Saturday.

Even though looking back she wishes she would have been able to finish her bachelor’s like a traditional student, Kaminski was grateful for the opportunity these fast-track courses allowed her. She was able to fully immerse herself in the coursework without the distraction of any other class at the time. It was still challenging, yet she found the time to complete her assignments once her daughter went off to bed; along with the support of her friends and family, Kerry finally had the opportunity to earn her bachelor’s. 

Today, she is Kerry Kaminski, VP Director of Finance at Schifino Lee Agency.

She found new opportunities along the way to gain experience at different companies from insurance to retail, but finally found her match at Schifino Lee Agency-which happens to be celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Kaminski feels inspired every day on the job at this agency with such creative colleagues who make every day more interesting than the last.

(Pictured left to right) Kerry Kaminski with her daughter today.

It takes incredible dedication and perseverance to go back and finish what you started, but the rewards are boundless. Kerry was able to accomplish her goals all while building her career and being a single mother, and her greatest satisfaction is being able to portray herself to her daughter as an example that you can achieve anything you desire with the right amount of courage.

And to anyone who may feel as if they’re in the same boat as she once was: 

“Don’t look back, keep moving forward!”

Whatever may have happened in your past that held you back from accomplishing your goals, don’t let it continue to weigh you down! Everyone has the potential to do great things and it’s within your power to make that change in your life. It’s never too late and you’re never too far gone.