The fourth time’s the charm

On Dec. 18, Jaynette Arrington, the office manager in Student Development, transferred to the finance department to pursue her newly discovered passion.

Although the job is new, Arrington’s experience with Eastern is not.

“Basically my résumé says Eastern, Eastern, Eastern,” she said.

In 1990, Arrington took her first job with Eastern working in admissions.

Through jobs in admissions, CCAS and Student Development, she has been very well trained within the Eastern community and is now moving even further along in her career.

In Jan. 2005, a few years after gaining an associates degree in business administration from Montgomery Community College, Arrington began attending Pierce College for her bachelor’s degree.

One finance class pushed her to change her entire major and pursue accounting.

Changing her major meant a whole new plan of classes and time frames.

“I would kick myself because I would think, ‘I would be done! I would be done,” she said.

She said the process has been difficult, but also said she knows without a shadow of a doubt that she will finish what she started. In Dec. 2007, she will complete her degree and will graduate in May 2008.

Her new position is much different from the one she has had with Vice President of Student Development Bettie Ann Brigham. The training and work of administration has, however, prepared her well for the task ahead of her.

“You can’t do accounting without organization,” she said.

Being in a very busy place like Student Development, having the responsibilities of scheduling, answering phones and handling the traffic in that office, Arrington learned very well how to multi-task.

“My first day here I went home with a migraine and wondered if I made the right move,” she said, concerning the new position.

While the calculator does a lot of the work for her, there are still a great number of responsibilities to attend to from reconciling accounts to account deposits.

In spite of the new training and the stress it brings, Arrington said, “I’ve waited a long time to get here. This is my career.”

According to Arrington, “Eastern can’t get rid of me.”

Arrington loved her position with Brigham and asked her blessing to apply in accounting.

Brigham was all for it. She knew that this is what Arrington really wanted.

“We are so happy that she found something where she can use her education as an accountant and stay at Eastern,” Brigham said. “We did not lose her; accounting gained a great staff accountant.”