UOPX alumna Cassandra Edwards rises to the challenge

Cassandra Edwards built a thriving career while raising a family, then returned to complete her degree at University of Phoenix. Find out how other working adults like Edwards can fit education into a full life and still pursue new leadership opportunities.

If you want Edwards to accomplish something, just tell her she can’t do it. Whether it’s playing basketball or enlisting in the U.S. Army at age 17, the fastest way to get her on board is by daring her to prove you wrong.

Born and raised in Memphis as the middle child of 12, Edwards wanted to be the first in her family to attend college.

“I was a straight-A student in elementary and high school, so college was always on the radar,” she says.

She received a full scholarship to attend a liberal arts college in the heart of Memphis, but Edwards married young, had a child and entered the workforce. “I went straight into the career world and being a mom, being a wife, so I was unable to finish college at the time.”

Fast-forward 20 years, and Edwards was enviably situated. She had four children and was the director of a major grocery retailer. Life was good — but then Edwards came across a post from her employer regarding a college scholarship for retail leaders. The unfinished college degree surfaced in her mind.

She wanted it. And if she wants something, don’t bother trying to dissuade her. When she was a kid and someone suggested she wasn’t serious enough to play basketball, she hit the court full stop. When she was part of her high school’s homecoming court, and an Army recruiter said that, as such, she couldn’t possibly be cut out for the military, she joined the U.S. Army Reserve.

So, when Edwards applied, and received, the scholarship, she roundly disregarded any naysayers who said her life was too full to add in school.

One week later, she found out she was pregnant with twins.

Instead of taking a step back, Edwards pushed forward at University of Phoenix, which caters to working adults who juggle multiple commitments. And Edwards had commitments. In addition to expecting twins, she was serving as the director for divisional training of 116 stores. She made earning her degree feasible by choosing her classes wisely.

“I had the schedule on my time,” she says. “I was very intentional about when I picked my schedule, not trying to burden myself with all four of the hardest classes at the same time.”

Her academic counselor also helped, letting her know about prior learning assessments and that she could apply to see if her life experiences might be eligible for college credit.

“That was half the weight off my shoulders,” says Edwards. “I was really happy to do that because it felt daunting to do the full four years.”

Even so, the process wasn’t easy.                                                                                                                

“I’ll be honest. I had a lot of times where I struggled.”

Edwards realized that the answer to joyfully balancing everything was, at least for her, transparency — at work, home and school.

“I had four assistant managers who worked under me and they knew for that little bit of time they were going to be leaning in with me, so there was a lot of support there.”

Her older sisters also helped with school pickups and starting dinner.

Then there were her instructors. “All my instructors had real-life conversations with me,” she says. That meant meeting her where she was. When she had the twins and was working toward a deadline, for example, “they said, ‘You just did what?’ And they were like, ‘Hey, let’s take a couple of days and then you can turn those in.’”

Finally, Edwards made it to the end of her bachelor’s degree program. Yet, in a poetic turn of events, the scheduling challenge reared its head one final time: Edwards’ 20-year high school reunion coincided with the University of Phoenix graduation. Her husband wondered which she would choose, but for Edwards, it wasn’t even a question.

The graduation that year was held in Dallas, so off Edwards went with her children, sisters and one of her brothers, all of whom watched her walk across the stage, the first in the family to gain a degree. 

While working at the grocery retailer, Edwards’ motivation for gaining a degree was more internal than necessary. There, she says, four years of managerial experience counted as the equivalent of a degree in terms of qualifications.

But not all companies operate that way. Edwards was pleasantly surprised to find that, once she posted her degree on LinkedIn^®, she started getting noticed. She was recruited to become an HR leader at another big-box retailer. She excelled and was quickly promoted to store director. Not too long into that position, Amazon took note.

Not being one to job hop, she hesitated even as the recruiter persisted. Eventually, Edwards was won over by the open-ended possibilities presented at Amazon and she took the opportunity.  

Given it was 2020 and the height of the COVID pandemic, the timing was not ideal. Yet she excelled and quickly became an operations manager, a role in which she shined when managing difficult, high-level conversations across the organization. That led to her being asked to join HR — her passion.

Next came Edwards’ promotions, first to HR Business Partner (HRBP), then HR Manager and, most recently, to Regional Operational Excellence Leader in HR (ROPEX). Her current role requires up to 50% travel, so maintaining balance at work and home remains an art, especially since she is studying for her SHRM^® certification and considering a master’s degree.

Erika Huett, a senior HRBP at Amazon, isn’t surprised by Edwards’ ascent. She’s seen firsthand how Edwards’ composure and strategic mindset made her a natural leader. Recalling Edwards’ drive to implement organizational change, even in the face of opposition, Huett remains impressed. “Her ability to maintain composure under pressure while inspiring others to rally behind a shared vision exemplifies the drive and tenacity that defines her professional character,” Huett says.

For her part, Edwards chalks up her success to keeping her priorities front and center. “I want to make sure that anytime I step into anything, I’m not in a place where I have to lean back from my No. 1 job as mother and wife. If it looks like my schedule has leaned too far toward things where I’m chasing for myself and not able to give [my family] the time and attention, then I say, ‘Hey, I need to take a step back.’”

Edwards also pays close attention to how people are progressing alongside her. Specifically, she says she seeks to grow herself while also helping others see how they can do the same.

Huett corroborates that commitment. “One particularly memorable example of Cassandra’s mentorship occurred when she took a junior team member under her wing who was struggling with growth and development,” Huett says. “Cassandra didn’t simply provide answers. Instead, she created a structured development plan that included regular check-ins, resource sharing and opportunities for the colleague to lead smaller initiatives with her guidance.”

Edwards embodies the idea that to those whom much is given, much is expected. “I am amazingly happy in my career, so how do I get other people into that place?” she says. “I tell my kids that all the time. If you are growing and you aren’t bringing somebody else along, then you’re not doing it correctly.” 

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