# Alumnus Kamri Banks finds his calling in the food industry September 17, 2026 • 4 minutes ![Stephanie Hoselton](https://uop.scene7.com/is/image/phoenixedu/Stephanie-Hoselton-headshot-360x360.webp?fmt=webp-alpha&qlt=70&fit=constrain,1&wid=360) Written by [Stephanie Hoselton](/blog/authors/stephanie-hoselton.html) ![Meet our alumni Kamri Banks, Bachelor of Science in Business, Master of Business Administration](https://uop.scene7.com/is/image/phoenixedu/blog-hero-alumni-kamri-banks.webp?fmt=webp-alpha&qlt=70&fit=constrain,1&wid=700) How can the appreciation of good food and a well-known brand change a person’s professional and educational trajectory? As Kamri Banks proves, sometimes the two are deliciously linked. ## How did Banks find his path after high school? Kamri Banks didn’t like school. Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, Banks didn’t pass the second grade and was put on an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) that plagued his confidence for years. “I really hated that,” he says. “[I] didn’t want to feel like I was different.” Once he hit high school, Banks dug deep and worked hard to complete school a semester early. He thought trade school was the natural next step until he realized general ed courses were required to get in. “I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s not for me,’” he recalls with a laugh. Instead, he applied at a fast-food restaurant specializing in chicken. In some ways, this felt like fulfilling his destiny. “This is kind of crazy, but I think I’ve always been interested in owning a [franchise for this company] and being able to see how they operated,” he says. “And obviously, I love the food, and you get free food when you work there.” ## How did career growth lead Banks back to school? Banks started out as a team member, then shift leader, then worked his way up to drive-thru director and then human resources director. But learning didn’t only happen on the job. The step into higher education began with the nudge of a colleague, who introduced him to University of Phoenix. Banks had a choice to make: Continue in the belief that he didn’t like school and that college wasn’t for him or break the mold and see what he could achieve. As he tells it, the decision was about more than just himself. “I had my son during the time I went back to school,” he says. “So being able to set an example for him, but also for my siblings, [was important]. The opportunity to do more as a[first-generation college graduate](https://www.phoenix.edu/blog/first-generation-college-students.html), I think that was important, [and] also wanting to be able to put myself in a position to be able to do more.” Committed for those reasons, Banks used the[tuition benefit](https://www.phoenix.edu/blog/what-is-tuition-assistance.html)with his employer and enrolled. When he started taking business courses, he really hit his stride. “They just gave me a well-rounded perspective of how businesses work from a marketing perspective [and] from a leadership perspective,” Banks says. It wasn’t easy to go back to school while pursuing a career and raising a family, but Banks did it. The structure at University of Phoenix, an accredited institution where students take one class at a time, made it feel more doable. “I don’t know if any other school would have given me the flexibility to work, be a dad and also do school at the same time,” he says. Banks earned his bachelor’s degree in 2025 and went straight into his MBA program, which he completed in 2026. “If I didn’t finish and start into it, I don’t think I ever would have gone back to school,” he says. “But again, it just goes back to being an example for my family [and to] setting the bar really high, [and showing] that a kid who failed second grade [and had] an IEP can go on to get an undergrad [and] also a master’s.” As for the childhood dream of one day owning his own store? Banks, who is currently in a three-year talent-development program with his company, says, “It’s not out of the picture yet.”  ![UOPX logo](/blog/2026/09/alumnus-kamri-banks-finds-his-calling-in-the-food-industry/_jcr_content/root/container_14213/columns/responsivegrid1/container/container_3768771_co/container_279425874_/container_1111564326/image.coreimg.png/1772059154423/bird-white.png) ## PHOENIX FAST FACTS ![Kamri Banks portrait](https://uop.scene7.com/is/image/phoenixedu/kamri-banks.webp?fmt=webp-alpha&qlt=70&fit=constrain,1&wid=260) How Kamri Banks went from team member to director of training ### Job title Director of training  ### Company A national fast-food restaurant ### UOPX degrees - [Bachelor of Science in Business](/online-business-degrees/business-bachelors-degree.html)(2025) - [Master of Business Administration](https://www.phoenix.edu/online-business-degrees/master-business-administration-degree.html)(2026)  ### Way Kamri saved [Employer tuition benefits](https://www.phoenix.edu/tuition-financial-aid/employer-tuition-benefits.html) ### Resumé at a glance - Director of training - Human resources director - Drive-thru director - Assistant drive-thru director - Shift leader - Team member ### What advice would you offer a prospective student considering higher education? ![Quotation mark](/blog/2026/09/alumnus-kamri-banks-finds-his-calling-in-the-food-industry/_jcr_content/root/container_14213/columns/responsivegrid1/container/container_3768771_co/container_279425874_/container_copy_copy__1846530867/container/image.coreimg.png/1772058669328/quotes.png) Make sure you understand the reason you’re going to school in the first place. The world is changing rapidly, so having a plan matters! Even if it doesn’t happen exactly as expected, the process of planning teaches you how to problem-solve and navigate life’s complexities early on. “Also, set aside dedicated time to study and work on assignments. This discipline will serve you well far beyond school. It’s a skill that carries into your career and life in general! “Finally, look for scholarships, grants and other resources to help cover the cost of school. There’s often more help available than people realize, and it’s worth the effort to find it.” Read more articles like this: [UOPX Alumni Jenna Knight Alumni Chronicles May 10, 2022 • 6 minutes](/blog/uopx-alumni-jenna-knight.html)[UOPX alumni spotlight: Valerie Ballew Alumni Chronicles April 02, 2025 • 5 minutes](/blog/uopx-alumni-valerie-ballew.html)[UOPX Alumna Juana Lang Alumni Chronicles October 30, 2023 • 7 minutes](/blog/alumna-juana-lang.html) ![Headshot of Stephanie Hoselton](https://uop.scene7.com/is/image/phoenixedu/Stephanie-Hoselton-headshot-360x360.webp?fmt=webp-alpha&qlt=70&fit=constrain,1&wid=360) ### ABOUT THE AUTHOR Stephanie Hoselton has always enjoyed a good story. She gained an English degree from Texas A&M University with the plan to teach or write. As life happens, she fell into recruiting and didn’t look back. Stephanie spent over a decade in agency recruiting, placing candidates at SAP, Verizon and across financial services and healthcare. She started in Talent Acquisition with the University of Phoenix in 2021. She loves hearing candidates tell their career stories and sharing the story that is University of Phoenix. ![checkmark](/content/experience-fragments/edu/us/en/blog/article-vetted-blurb/master/_jcr_content/root/container_copy/container/image_2120429180_cop.coreimg.svg/1701890876580/differentiators-check.svg) This article has been vetted by University of Phoenix's editorial advisory committee.  [Read more about our editorial process.](/blog/editorial-process.html) ```html ```