September 7, 2021

For t​hose interested in FirstEnergy’s Educate to Elevate program, it’s not too early to start thinking about applying for Spring 2022 enrollment.

Originally offered only to Customer Service personnel in pursuit of associate or bachelor’s degrees in business, the program is now open to all FirstEnergy employees.

Jo Anne H​ands

​​​​“While the program was designed to meet the unique needs of Customer Service personnel, it is available to any FirstEnergy employee interested in furthering their education,” said Jo Anne Hands, who took over as Educate to Elevate program lead when Wally Hartory retired earlier this year.

Jo Anne comes to the program with a strong background in Human Resources, most recently having worked on teams within JCP&L’s Distribution Lines and HR departments. She is excited to encourage employees from all areas of the company to participate, having benefited from the company’s tuition reimbursement plan herself while earning a master’s degree in Human Resource Management.

Growing Our School Partnerships

A new partnership with Owens Community College in Toledo has been added to the list of schools that employees can choose to attend through Educate to Elevate. Other educational institutions participating in the program include: Stark State College and The University of Akron in northeast Ohio; Alvernia University in Reading, Pa.; and Pierpont Community & Technical College and Fairmont State University, both in Fairmont, W.Va.

Toledo Edison’s Jared Stone is the first student to enroll at Owens Community College, the latest education institution to partner with our Educate to Elevate program.

For the first student at Owens – Jared Stone, Estimating & Design representative, Holland Line Shop – the decision to enroll has been a good one.

“Taking classes at my own pace in a program that reimburses employees for good grades was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” said Jared. “Not many people get that kind of chance to further their career and education. It is challenging balancing life and family with school, but if you want it, you will find the time.”

​​Educate to Elevate Ambassadors Play Key Role

In addition to guidance from Jo Anne and assistance from advisors and professors at school, the Educate to Elevate program is working to establish a network of employee ambassadors to help guide participants through aspects of the college experience.

“Many of our students are the first ones in their family to attend college,” explained Jo Anne. “Having a diverse group of ambassadors within the company who have a mix of backgrounds to help with questions ranging from course load to career advice is an extra bonus of participating in the program.”
The experience proves rewarding for the ambassadors too.

Customer Service supervisors Rebekah Semelsberger and Misty Terry got their start volunteering as mentors with FirstEnergy’s Helping Women Grow Employee Business Resource Group (EBRG) and have since extended their reach to the Educate to Elevate Program.

Rebekah believes growth occurs for both parties in the mentor-mentee relationship. “Being a mentor encourages you to continue to develop your communication skills, promotes self-reflection and allows you the opportunity to advocate for these students. It is an amazing opportunity that benefits both the mentor and the mentee,” said Rebekah.

Misty also agrees with this viewpoint, adding: “I have watched many of my mentees grow over the years. It gives me joy to see them move ahead in their careers at FirstEnergy and even in their personal development. I have grown as a mentor based on each of the different mentees that I have helped. At times, they have pushed me out of my own comfort zone and helped me grow as a leader.”