The fifth century Chinese philosopher Laozi once said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” For Kenovia Haggerty, that single step was more of a leap of faith.  

Kenovia lived in Houston, Texas with her husband, JaRon, and their two beautiful children, Kylah, and JJ. The two had built a good life together; respectable careers, thriving children, and a home. But what happens when “good enough,” is no longer enough? For Kenovia, that moment of self-discovery sparked one day, at her job right before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Kenovia graduated college with a passing GPA and had accepted a job as a steppingstone to future opportunities. After spending some time in that role, Kenovia began to realize the limitations of what her current skillset could offer an employer, and where she could take that career with some additional human resources education. Knowing that graduate school was likely in her future, she began conversations with her husband (who was also preparing to start graduate school) about what the next chapter of their lives would entail. 

Their journey to success was a long, winding road that lasted about 2 years, fraught with trial and tribulation, taking them far away from their home state and any kind of family support. The beautiful result of these efforts was two highly accomplished individuals that together have cemented and solidified their manifestation of a lifetime of opportunity, both for themselves and for their family. 

Overcoming barriers 

Kenovia had some doubts; her undergraduate academic background was not the strongest when she began applying to master’s programs. With concerns about how her GPA could impact her acceptance into master’s programs, the application process to other schools was daunting. Kenovia said, “[I] had some transferable skills from being in banking and in management, but none in HR, so I saw the online Master of Science in Human Resources and Organization Development (MS HROD) program at UofL as an opportunity to fill in some of those gaps. Then I thought that I would be able to log in when I needed to, and I’d have that support to get through it.”  

Kenovia did not receive a ton of initial support from her family; some in her extended family felt that graduate education would only lead to more student debt, and that pursuing additional education was not the wisest endeavor. Her biggest supporter was JaRon, who encouraged her to consider all options and choose whichever one would provide the most growth opportunity for their family. Though they would be studying at different institutions, they would be undergoing the journey together. “It was very important for us to find a program that was SHRM-aligned, because her goals were to circumvent this learning curve so that [she] can move up quickly, and become more marketable,” JaRon notes. 

Taking the first step 

For Kenovia, a pivotal conversation was with Ron Sheffield, Ed.D., and the program director for UofL’s online MS HROD program. Sheffield provided her with the comfort and knowledge that she would be supported throughout her endeavors to achieve an MS in HROD degree. “He was awesome. I just felt like, OK, this could be a little family here. If I need help, I’ll be able to get it and that this program could fit into the type of lifestyle I was about to have,” Kenovia notes. Another pillar of support in this journey was the faith in God the couple shared together. “Me and my husband believe in making sure that our decisions are led by us praying and taking our time with things. Our big prayer was to find a program that could fit our new lifestyle.”  

JaRon had already been accepted with a full-ride scholarship to an MBA program at a different institution in Bloomington, and with Louisville being located relatively close, the two packed up their lives in Texas and made the long journey north, arriving at their new, temporary home in Indianapolis. From there, the two settled into their new routine, juggling their education with the needs of work and their children. Kenovia, especially, had to manage life as a self-described “temporarily single parent,” except for instances where JaRon was able to return from Bloomington to spend time with the family.  

Getting to the goal line together 

Years of effort and hard work finally paid off this summer, when Kenovia finally graduated with a MS in Human Resources and Organization Development from UofL, and JaRon graduated with an MBA. Now, the two can look forward with confidence and momentum to all that is coming next for their family, with a world of opportunity in front of them.  

When asked about what they would recommend to others in a similar situation, Kenovia shared, “Prioritize your time, and if you do have a partner, keep the lines of communication open about everything that you’re feeling, because we had some really hard times trying to keep us together with trying to keep the goal at the forefront.” 

For the time being, the two are moving again, heading up to Chicago to take on this next chapter in their lives. Kenovia plans to work out of a Merchants Bank of Indiana branch near their new home. “I do feel like the program is helping advance my career. I started off as a HR analyst initially and then I just got promoted this year to HR generalist. Right now, I am helping with orientation, training, and all these different things that I can do. I feel like UofL’s online program gave me the confidence I needed.” 

We are grateful to Kenovia for sharing her story with us; she and JaRon have worked together to craft a life story they are proud of. “We feel like we broke some generational curses with both of us having the education that we have and our kids being able to see that and that is rewarding,” Kenovia and JaRon note. They are a living testament to the fact that, no matter where you are in life, you can dream big, accomplish your goals, and better your family’s future.  

If you want to take the next step in your life’s journey like Kenovia, you can click here and learn more about the Master of Science in Human Resources and Organization Development online program at UofL.