Investing in Her Future: Alumna Dawn Grady

During COVID-19, Dawn Grady refocused her career and education on project management. After earning her bachelor’s degree from SPC, she was rewarded with a whopping $56,000 pay raise in a new position.

As COVID-19 began to upend the global economy in 2020, St. Petersburg College alumna Dawn Grady knew she wanted to realign her priorities. The veteran sales manager had relied on her strength in building business relationships and passion for leadership to achieve glowing success in her career. But as the looming pandemic grew, she recognized that the upheaval gave her a chance to reinvent herself.

“When I saw the economy and industries changing, I knew that I would need to be at the top of my game,” Grady said. “I asked myself, ‘Am I going to be the same person, or will I be different?’ ”

Grady returned to SPC, where she had earned her Associate in Arts degree, to pursue her Bachelor of Applied Science in Management and Organizational Leadership at SPC. She focused on managerial risk analysis and decision making and graduated in less than two years, in December 2022.

“This degree really taught me how to leverage and lead with emotional intelligence,” Grady said. “The emphasis on international and global perspectives teaches you how to relate to all kinds of people. I was able to see and practice in the real world what I learned in my courses.”

At the time she started her bachelor’s degree, Grady was working as an area sales manager for a major electronics manufacturer. She had worked her way up to managing a sales territory but couldn’t advance because she wasn’t keen on relocating.

Once she focused her career path and education on project management, it literally paid off. Earning her bachelor’s degree translated to a $56,000 raise in her new position as a project manager at an IT firm in California. This remote position was perfect for her busy life and gave her the flexibility she had been looking for.

“It’s never too late to earn your degree,” Grady said. “Keep going and don’t stop. You will get there. Embrace being a lifelong learner as a mindset, and that will be a game changer.”

Since she graduated, Grady has earned several project management certifications and has acted as a role model for her teenage stepdaughter.

“She’s watched me go to school and knows what that’s about. I tell her you’re a leader. You’ve got to finish school.”