Carrie Barnett MBA ’21 began her journey at Thomas College 15 years ago, but life got busy, and she paused pursuing her master’s degree while she raised her kids and worked full time. When her son, Ethan, went to college, she decided it would be a good time to go back and finish her degree. They both decided to attend Thomas College.

“It was fun to talk about our classes together, and great to have an accountability partner. I would recommend it to other families if the dynamic worked for them,” said Carrie about going to the same college as her son.

“Thomas was a good fit for Ethan because it allowed him to complete his degree in three years, ultimately saving money while not sacrificing the level of education he received. Ethan is very motivated, and value is important to him,” said Carrie.

Carrie works for the Bank of America in the Academy where she is responsible for the training and development of all employees. She is a program design consultant where she designs program and learning materials for new hires and development programs, focusing on introducing modalities such as virtual reality and AI.

“When I graduated with my undergrad in 2003, I had one child and was pregnant with my second. I was determined to get a master’s degree and be the first in my family to do so. There were many obstacles and setbacks that delayed my completion, but I did not give up! I am proud of the family my husband and I have raised while continuing to strive for and achieve our goals,” said Carrie.

Ethan Barnett ’22, MBA ’23 says that Thomas was a good fit for his mom: “Thomas has an extremely strong educational support system with flexibility provided by most professors and courses. My mom was able to find a school that fit her strengths and her schedule allowing for her to succeed in her time at Thomas.”

And, it turns out, Thomas has been a great fit for Ethan as well. He recently graduated from the three-year program and will be pursuing his MBA full-time on-campus this fall.

Ethan is currently employed in the CIP Management Training program at a F.W. Webb Company in Augusta, ME.

“The Guaranteed Job Program at Thomas was beneficial in allowing me to find this position as I worked an internship with the company last year before being hired on full time in June of this year. Professional and Career Development staff were a major resource and helped me find an internship that later led to a great job opportunity.”

Overall, Thomas seemed to be a fit for the Barnett’s as both strived in this environment.

“Thomas provides a strong education system that benefits students in many ways academically. I would recommend that individuals attend the school that provides them the best opportunity to grow and become successful in their future field. For me, this was Thomas as I was able to graduate quickly while developing many strong habits and maintaining strong academic standing,” said Ethan.