Rio Salado Alum Amy Gentry Shares Her Journey on the Wave Makers Podcast
By Mira Radovich, Senior Contributing Writer
Sometimes the road to a college degree takes longer than expected. For Rio Salado College alum Amy Gentry, that journey included raising children, working full time, taking breaks from school and finding the determination to finish what she started.
Today, Gentry is director of customer contact operations at Salt River Project (SRP), where she leads a team of managers and supervisors. Her journey from frontline contact center agent to director is a testament to what persistence and education can make possible.
In the latest episode of Rio Salado College’s Wave Makers podcast, host Michelle Reese welcomes Gentry back to Rio to share how she balanced work, family and college, why she decided to finish her degrees, and what she hopes other working adults will learn from her experience.
“I was a single mom and working full time and trying to balance kids, work, while also trying to incorporate school,” Gentry said. “I was having a really difficult time figuring out how to balance it all and also still be able to focus on my kiddos.”
Online learning gave her the flexibility to keep moving forward.
“I really loved the fact that Rio Salado gave me the flexibility to be able to do my schoolwork during the times that maybe my kids were in bed,” she said. “I was able to fit it in while still going to work and spending time with my kids.”
Gentry’s educational journey began through SRP’s partnership with Rio Salado. The college credits she earned through company training gave her a head start when she decided to pursue an associate degree in organizational management. But her path wasn’t a straight line.
“It took me a long time to get through the coursework to finish my degree because there were times where I had to just skip taking any classes and then get myself back on the wagon to take classes again,” she said. “Really, it just all depended on what other responsibilities I had going on at that time in my life. But I did find that I had to make it a priority.”
Finding the Motivation to Finish
A turning point came when Gentry was working alongside student interns who were completing their degrees. Watching them progress prompted her to reflect on her own goals and the time she had already spent working toward them.
“I realized that, hey, I'm not getting this time back. It's time for me to just buckle down and get it done,” she said.
With her children growing older and more family support available, Gentry made education a priority. Her family stepped in to help with household responsibilities, giving her more time to focus on schoolwork. She typically reserved her weekends for studying, making the most of the time between finishing work Friday and returning Monday morning.
The effort paid off. After earning her associate degree, Gentry continued her education, completing a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems. Both degrees helped prepare her for new professional opportunities.
“I was in a place where I had pretty much accomplished everything I could without a degree, from a professional standpoint, where I work,” she said. “Getting my degree under my belt was going to open so many more doors for me.”
It did. Gentry moved into a supervisory role, advanced to management and eventually became a director. Her bachelor's degree also gave her technical knowledge she continues to use when working with SRP’s information technology teams and overseeing operational projects.
Today, she shares what she learned with employees who are considering returning to school. She has even encouraged coworkers to explore Rio Salado’s programs, drawing on her firsthand experience with the college’s flexible online format.
“The sooner you start, the sooner you're going to be finished with it,” Gentry said. “And you owe it to yourself, really, to accomplish that goal.”
Looking back, she wishes she had started sooner. But she is proud of what she accomplished and wants others to recognize what is possible for themselves.
“I would just add that Rio Salado is an absolutely awesome opportunity for you to get started toward a better future for yourself,” Gentry said. “If you are considering what you want to do next, you owe it to yourself to at least look into it and see what options are available for you.”
Want to hear the whole conversation? Listen now on Podbean or find Wave Makers on your favorite podcast channel: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube.