Spotlight for Lee Cole

Lee Cole
Communications Specialist
Columbus Public Schools
M.S. in Marketing & Communication

My approach to juggling my career, family and education is to pace myself– and Franklin was a great partner in letting me do this well. While I was pursuing my M.S. in Marketing & Communication, I found that my focus was just like when I played basketball in high school. I discovered that being successful as a professional, a mother and an adult student was all about discipline, flexibility and keeping your eye on the ball.

I chose Franklin because the other schools I considered were just plain unrealistic. My other choices included interrupting my career (and my income!) to attend a full-time executive program, or to get my master’s degree on a rigid part-time schedule that couldn’t work with my family’s needs. My husband and I both had demanding jobs, along with the most demanding job of all: raising our son and daughter, who were two and three years old at the time.

Between waking up at 5:30 a.m. to get myself and my kids ready for the day, to reading my homework during lunch, to exercising in the evening before cooking dinner, I multi-tasked all day long! In fact, I found it helped to juggle creatively– like when I read my coursework in an entertaining, sing-song voice to my kids, they thought I was reading them a children's story. It let me absorb what I needed for my classes (because I read it so slowly!), while at the same time I gave my children a little extra love and attention. Believe me, it was a refreshing break from Finding Nemo!

Along with Franklin’s flexible schedule, Franklin’s education helped me acheive my goals. I earned my MCM degree so that when I eventually achieve my ultimate goal of owning and operating a marketing consulting business for minorities, I will have the global perspective necessary to be successful. While my job as a Communications Specialist certainly put my journalism bachelor’s degree to good use, the MCM Program exposed me to new ways of thinking and gave me the higher-level insights I wanted. I feel it prepared me for what’s ahead in my career.

It was not easy with such a busy schedule, but it was worth it – the time, the sacrifices, and the lack of sleep. Now I have a beautiful diploma hanging on the wall as a token of what I learned. Plus, I’ve got the satisfaction of knowing I’ve shown my children if you pace yourself and keep your eye on the ball, you can win at the game of life.