Work-Study Student works her way up to Senior Inventory Control Specialist at Church and Dwight

Tabitha Pocock did not come directly to Terra State Community College after graduating from Norwalk High School in 1998. She moved to the Indianapolis area, worked various jobs and started a family. In 2006, Tabitha headed back to northwest Ohio to be near her family and settled in Clyde.

Upon her return to Ohio, Tabitha was a single mom and needed to do something. “I started looking into college to get a degree,” she says. “Terra State was close and I was able to easily commute.” Tabitha submitted an application for the work-study program and was called that same day. “I started working by filling in at the truck driving academy when it was at Terra State. I was working at the college part time while going to class full time.” She also worked at the Kern Center.

Tabitha graduated in 2008 with an Associate Degree in Accounting. “I did not graduate high school with a great grade point average,” she says. “I graduated with over a 3.0 grade point average from Terra State.” She credits her professors for helping make this possible. “Jack Fatica was my favorite. He was amazing. He taught my accounting classes. He was always open and you could go to his office and ask any question. Jack was always compassionate to his students. A lot of teachers were like that.”

• 
  DegreeAccounting
• 
  Length of Study

  2 years, Full time

• 
  Cost

  $12,462

   

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• 
  Employer

  Church and Dwight

• 
  Job Title

  Senior Inventory Control Specialist

• 
  Salary PotentialUp to $72,046*
 

After graduating, Tabitha headed back to work. First with a Fremont business doing inventory for convenience stores, then as an assistant manager with a national retail outlet. “From a recommendation from Jack Fatica, I began using indeed.com to search for jobs. I found an opening with Church and Dwight in Old Fort, applied, interviewed and accepted the Inventory Control Specialist position. I have been there for seven and a half years.” Tabitha received a promotion to Senior Inventory Control Specialist in 2016.

While working for Church and Dwight, Tabitha did go back to school. In 2014, she began pursuing a degree in accounting at Tiffin University. “All of my credits transferred to Tiffin University. I will graduate in May 2018.” Tabitha hopes to move up with her current employer.

From her experience and education, Tabitha has a word of advice for anyone thinking about continuing their education. “If you are thinking it, do it. If there is a passion for wanting to succeed then take a leap and find a way to do it. If I would have listened to people who said it was not worth pursuing, I would not be where I am today.”

*Possible salary information based on averages from salary.com