Empowering Education Through IT and Grit
By Kent Yang | Staff Writer
Kourtney Tibbets, an extremely motivated Computer Information System student at Mount Wachusett Community College, is driven by her overwhelming passion for the IT industry and education sector. Tibbets is a dual enrollment student, also attending Southern New Hampshire University in addition to the Mount.
She hails from southern New Hampshire and has an incredibly diverse heritage stemming from Northern Europe and Nigeria. “I have been to the United Kingdom but looking forward to exploring both Europe and Nigeria,” she said. “I am excited to learn more of my heritage! I was proud to learn that [my great-great-great grandfather] also fought in the Civil War for the Union Army. It is amazing to be able to connect my heritage to a specific time in American history.”
Tibbets is an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys the thrill of activities like hunting and trapping. She also finds joy in culinary pursuits, her favorite food being sushi. In her spare time, Tibbets also channels her passion into coaching and mentoring the younger generation; she loves to teach “Many of the young adults I have mentored have been to focus on life skills,” explained Tibbets. “I have also mentored those who are pursuing IT. I feel it is important to invest in the growth of young adults to help foster skills they may not have been able to learn in their home environment.”
Having faced the challenges of navigating her own path without guidance, she understands the importance of offering support to the younger generation. Tibbets aims to learn all she can through the power of education and make even more meaningful contributions to each organization she works for. Her dream, she said, lies in “leveraging technology to further enhance online education, specifically in the healthcare sector” where she finds it most valuable.
Despite being currently unemployed, her extensive 27 years tenure in the IT field led to her most recent title to be “Solutions Analyst Director.” On her journey within the male-dominated industry of IT, she has overcome many challenges and hurdles thanks to her unwavering resilience and determination. Because of this, she has propelled to new heights after every struggle.
One of the biggest struggles Tibbets faced in a male-dominated industry was the lack of acceptance of women. Within an organization of 1,200 employees where 95% were males, and only 5% were women, Tibbets worked her way to the top, becoming not only 1 of 3 directors, but also the only woman director. “It has always been difficult working in a very competitive male-dominated industry,” she shared. “I found that sometimes communicating directly was not always well received by my peers, so I had to develop skills to be more vague for my point of view to be considered. I found it as an opportunity to adapt and overcome it!”
Among her numerous accomplishments, Tibbets takes the most pride in a project that had significantly improved usability of online education platforms to both educators and students improving user self-service capabilities. As a result, calls to the help desk were massively reduced altogether. She explained, “I found it rewarding mainly because I was able to help a much broader population of customers. So thinking smarter on what would make it easier for them, and in turn help my teams be more effective was [also] very rewarding.”
Her commitment to her field is a testament to her unwavering belief that anything is achievable with perseverance. To all aspiring students entering the field of IT, she imparted invaluable advice: “Don’t merely aim to get through school just to get through, strive to acquire the skills necessary to excel in the field. Don’t do the minimum, but set your sights and attain those advanced skills.”
Tibbets considers her faith a cornerstone of her life. Reflecting on this, she shared an uplifting biblical verse from 2 Timothy 2:15: “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a worker who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” She emphasized, “My faith is what drives me to help others in my community. I will always return back to one of the most fundamental principles: to love your neighbor as [you love] yourself,” said Tibbets.
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