My Professional Edge - Tamy Sinkler
Tamy Sinkler
Associate Director of Technology - AT&T
Keller degree: Master of Business Administration (MBA)
My career
I started my career in telecommunications in 1982 at the age of 18 with Southwestern Bell Telephone Company in Dallas, TX, as a telephone operator whose parents lacked the financial means to pay for a college education.
I was promoted to management within the SBC Corporation in 1996 and have progressed through a number of managerial opportunities that others refused to even attempt, in order to attain my current position of Associate Director of Technology for the Northern Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma markets within what is known today as the New AT&T Corporation.
Education for the real world
My undergraduate degree from DeVry University in Telecommunications Management and my recently completed MBA degree program from Keller Graduate School of Management have well positioned me to remain personally competitive and marketable in one of the most tumultuous industries on the planet. I am very fortunate to have had the opportunity to benefit from student-oriented class schedules and industry relevant curriculum, unlike many women who in years past did not have the opportunities of online education, accelerated learning programs, and weekend college.
What I found on the road to success
I am a 44 year old woman who has raised a son to productive adulthood, held down a job for 25 years, climbed tons of telephone poles and the corporate ladder from less than the lowest rung, remained happily married to the same man for over 24 years, and furthered my education beyond what I ever dreamed possible.
Key takeaways
Keller taught me how to push forward amidst total uncertainty, to research the unfamiliar, to self-educate, and to keep pace with an ever changing world. We all were able to attack provocative and controversial economic, business, and personnel issues with a scary level of honesty in the classroom, and everyone was heard and respected. I had professors that should be DNA sampled and cloned. Their contribution to my education was significant and lasting.
Why Keller
Keller Graduate School of Management best fit my personal and professional life needs. The 24X7 demands of my career with AT&T as well as the need to remain available and involved with family made scheduling flexibility an absolute necessity in terms of an institutional requirement. After much research, I found that Keller was the only institution that offered such flexibility without sacrificing academic standards and industry relevance.
Right now I am laughing at one of my old bosses who told me that my MBA would never help me in my career at AT&Tespecially at my age. I saw results from my Keller education in less than 2 weeks after graduation. Five days after graduating, I applied for the position of Associate Director of Technology for Northern Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. I received my promotion a week later.
I have already recovered over 30% of the cost of my MBA degree program with my increase in salary and benefits associated with my new position. Moreover, my MBA degree will afford me the opportunity to remain productive in the workplace in whatever capacity and career that I choose far into my senior years. I now have options that I have never had before, options that are only possible through education.
