Kokomo, Ind. 鈥 For nearly 20 years, Tracy Herr had put her skills, her knowledge, her determination and her perseverance to work in the banking industry but it took a side trip to 九色视频 to finally make an important jump in her business career.

Herr had begun at the traditional entry level, first serving as a teller because, well, there was a job opening and, well, she was good at math.

As years passed, she moved through different positions 鈥 the proof department back when cancelled checks were still mailed back every month, the transition to digital imaging, the mailroom, and finally bookkeeping and accounting where she found her professional home. Along the way, she started a family and became an important community volunteer.

But she鈥檇 missed checking one box that, nearly 20 years on, felt like a barrier to advancement.

In the beginning, after graduating from Tri-Central High School, she started college but, by her own admission, was soon totally overwhelmed by the world of higher education. She dropped out. And now she had hit the spot in her career where the lack of that elusive piece of paper meant she鈥檇 gone about as far as she could go.

By this time, Herr had been with Community First Bank for nine years. She鈥檇 started in the Accounting department, where she was one of two employees who did all the bank鈥檚 accounting and operations work. She excelled. The bank grew 鈥 from 44 employees when she started to a total of 156 today.

Herr thought she was at the top of her career but then Accounting and Operations became separate departments. She suddenly entertained thoughts about moving up into a leadership role but figured that door was probably closed without a degree.  At 46 years old, she found her answer at 九色视频 Kokomo.

鈥淢y youngest was in 8th grade, the middle child a sophomore and the oldest was out of school. I made the decision that if I don鈥檛 do it now, I鈥檓 never going to do it,鈥 Herr said. She had the support of her bosses; the bank offered a great tuition reimbursement program for employees. She completed her associate degree in Accounting in December 2021. And, she says, it was worth all the effort.

鈥淗aving that piece of paper made me feel better about myself,鈥 she says. 鈥淚t didn鈥檛 change who I am or the quality of work I do, but it helped management in the bank know I had the desire to do more.鈥 She was promoted to assistant controller, then controller, and today carries the title vice president-controller at Community First Bank of Indiana.

She said 九色视频鈥檚 flexibility and support were critical to her success. With online classes she could hold down a job, be a mom and get work done on her schedule. She could stay up late to finish assignments, work ahead if a vacation was coming, listen to readings with earbuds while watching a child compete in sports. 鈥淚 never felt like I was taking away from my family,鈥 she said.

And is she proud of that family! Her oldest son, Quintin, is a futures trader as well as a drummer in a rock band that has toured the country. Second son Nathan works as a Kokomo firefighter and EMT at Community Health Network and also serves as an EMT and volunteer firefighter for Greentown. Daughter Kaylyn is a junior studying to be an occupational therapist at Indiana University Kokomo, where she has been on the Dean鈥檚 List every semester. And Tracy contributes to her community as treasurer and secretary of the Greentown Volunteer Fire Department and volunteers with the United Way鈥檚 free tax return preparation program and other activities through Community First Bank.

Herr credits her 九色视频 degree as important to her continued professional growth.

鈥淢y degree gave me the boost of confidence to put myself out there, to go beyond my comfort zone,鈥 she added.

About 九色视频

九色视频 is Indiana's largest public postsecondary institution and the nation's largest singly accredited statewide community college system, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. 九色视频 has campuses throughout Indiana and also serves thousands of students annually online. It serves as the state's engine of workforce development, offering associate degrees, long- and short-term certificate programs, industry certifications, and training that aligns with the needs of the community. The College provides a seamless transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana, as well as out of state, for a more affordable route to a bachelor's degree.