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“I never thought
I’d see the day when I’d earn my associate degree,” says Kristi
Harness, a single mother of two adult sons who manages the
Starbucks on West Walnut Avenue in Dalton.
But this May, Harness, the youngest of five and the first of her
four siblings to attend college, will march in the graduation
procession to receive her associate of business degree. Then
she’ll turn back around and will immediately enroll in the
College’s BBA in accounting program this summer.
“I’m a numbers person,” she admits. “I love numbers, and I love
math.”
Harness also loves school. She didn’t always. Following her
graduation from Chattooga High School, Harness married, found a
job in the carpet industry, and eventually had two boys.
But four months after the birth of her second son Wes, Harness,
who was newly divorced and working at Queen Carpet in the
customer claims department, was given devastating news: her son
Wes had stage three neuroblastoma, a serious childhood cancer.
“Wes had two major surgeries and two minor surgeries plus
chemotherapy during his first year of life,” she recalls. “The
doctors didn’t expect for him to live. They gave him a 40
percent chance. You’d never know it to see him now,” she says
proudly. “He’s twenty years old and in college with me now. He’s
6 feet two and weighs 190 pounds.” |
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While Wes attends Dalton
State, older son T. J., at age 23, is serving is second tour of
duty in Iraq and is the father of two young sons himself.
“I never remarried after my divorce because I devoted my life to
raising my two kids,” Harness says. “There were times it was
really, really tough, financially and otherwise, and many times
I worked two jobs. But my mother was a good role model. She
raised my brothers and sister and me by herself, working several
jobs, sewing band uniforms at night, going to all of our
ballgames. When Wes was sick, she stayed down at Eggleston with
me and helped me pull him through. She was my rock.”
Harness also credits Mary Thelma Norris, Director of Friendship
House, with helping her through the rough times.
”She accepted T. J. in the childcare program at Friendship House
while Wes was undergoing treatments, but she only charged me $1
per day to keep T. J. in daycare. Both Mary Thelma and my mother
kept encouraging me to keep going. They’ve inspired me and
pushed me to succeed in life.”
Now she’s had a chance to give back to Mary Thelma through
Starbucks’ charity program. Harness has selected Friendship
House to be the recipient of the West Walnut Avenue store’s
charity fund.
“Starbucks is a great company with a unique business culture,”
says Harness, who has “opened” two stores in the last six
months, has hired more than 50 “partners,” and has trained those
employees in preparation for opening.
“The company believes very strongly in finding the right
‘life/work’ balance. Employees who work at least 20 hours a week
get full benefits, not just partial benefits. And Starbucks
believes in giving back to the communities it serves.”
Harness found Starbucks to be committed to the ‘life/work’
balance when she was offered a management job with the company
last summer.
“When they offered me the job, I told them that school was very
important to me, and I needed to know if they would have a
problem with my attending classes. They were very supportive. In
fact, this August, they will start providing me with tuition
reimbursement as well.”
Harness hopes to earn her BBA in accounting degree in six
semesters, including summers, and she plans to average about
three classes per term.
“This summer I’ll be taking Special Topics in Accounting and a
management course,” she says. “I’m really looking forward to
taking these classes.”
Harness loves school so much now that she doesn’t plan to stop
once she earns her bachelor’s degree.
“I’m already looking into master’s programs in accounting,” she
says. “I don’t think I’ll finish until I get my doctorate.”
In the future, Harness says she’d love to be able to teach
classes at Dalton State, her alma mater.
“This is where it all began for me. Maybe this will be where I
will finish up. I would love to be able to share what I’ve
learned through my life to others.”
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