Jimmy Sargent ‘20 has always worked at a faster pace than his peers. In high school, he even switched to online schooling so he could continue his tenacious work at his own pace.
Luckily, at Thomas College he’s found others who work at the same pace and rigor as him: the Kiest-Morgan Scholars. These scholars are part of an accelerated degree program to obtain your bachelor’s degree in three years instead of four.
“As a Kiest-Morgan Scholar, you’re not only going at a pace that is better for yourself, but you’re also surrounded by people like you,” said Jimmy. “My classmates and I are at the same level. It’s great to be surrounded by people who I identify with.”
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Jimmy’s dreams are as impressive as his academic achievements. After interning with a local tax firm called Bouchard Associates in Fairfield, he’s excited about a future career as a business owner.
“I really am appealed by running my own business and setting my own hours and rates,” he said. “Through my internship I was able to see what it’s like to run your own business from my boss’s perspective and that’s helped me decide what I want to do.”
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Jimmy began his career exploration through the prestigious Leadership Academy his first year at Thomas. As part of the program he attended leadership workshops and events.
“Leadership Academy is designed to help you figure out what type of leader you are and how to strengthen your own leadership abilities,” said Jimmy. “We did a lot of group activities to figure out better who we are and how we can better improve ourselves.”
“Through those, it definitely helped me see what type of person I would be if I was in a leadership role. That helped me realize what I need to aim for,” he said.
Two years later, Jimmy said he has grown as a student. This past semester was the most intense because of his heavy course load plus the internship. He says his busy and rigorous schedule has helped him learn how to manage his time better.
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Overall, Jimmy said Thomas is a great fit for him because it’s helping him achieve his dreams through the Guaranteed Job program, the Kiest-Morgan Scholar program, internships, and Leadership Academy.
“I think practically is one of the biggest appeals here because everything is designed to help you to be ready when you get your job. That was my biggest draw to Thomas.”
This summer, Jimmy is working full-time for the IT department at Thomas College. He’s also taking two summer courses as part of the Kiest-Morgan Scholar program. Jimmy plans to graduate next May with a major in Finance and a minor in Accounting.