When she came to the United States, Behice Bailey knew she wanted an education but she had no idea that she would accomplish as much as she has in the short time that she has been here.
She came to America in 1997 from Istanbul, Turkey so she could attend college. A family friend recommended Virginia and an Istanbul agency led her to the $$Roanoke Valley Campus. Now she has three degrees, a child, and a very prominent position with a local non-profit organization.
[img]Behice is one of many students at American National University to take advantage of the progressive degree programs. She started with an associate’s degree in business administration-accounting which helped her develop a passion for numbers. She then went on to earn a bachelor’s degree.
“I like the fact that all the teachers have actual work experience that can apply to what they’re teaching in class,” Behice said as she looked back on her ANU experience. “That definitely makes a difference because their point of views – their experiences – sometimes means much more than what it says in the book.”
The bachelor’s degree helped Behice land a job in the corporate office of a large automobile dealership chain as a financial analyst. “I was able to jump right into this position because of my education,” she said as she described her first job in her new career field.
Behice continually looks for new career opportunities. When she worked as an accounting coordinator for a local payroll services company managing $40-$80 million in transactions a day, she decided it was time to continue her education. She wanted to expand her knowledge and become more marketable, and she knew could count on ANU for a third time. “Classes are tailored for students like me who have jobs and family,” she said. “They work with your schedule.”
She graduated summa cum laude from ANU’s Master of Business Administration program in May 2013 and she is now working as a finance manager for the Energy Conservation and House Rehab Division (ECHR) of Total Action for Progress (TAP) where she was promoted three times in four years. In her current position she manages the administration staff, budgets, accounting, and financials of 20 ECHR programs.
Always in search of opportunities where she can meet her fullest potential, Behice plans to continue learning as much as she can.
A-Behice Bailey graduated Summa Cum Laude from ANU’s Master of Business Administration program in May. She is pictured with Dr. Annette Chamberlin.
B-Graduate Behice Bailey is working as a finance manager for Total Action for Progress, a non-profit organization in Roanoke.
