Laura McKinney
First Community Bank
Lexington, SC USA
"You can learn a lot from those who are willing to sit down with you and share of their time, and you can also learn from those who are not."
Career Roadmap
Laura's work combines: Business, Entrepreneurship, and Problem Solving
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
AC Flora High School
Bachelor's Degree
Slavic Languages & Literature
University of Virginia
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be a Community Development Officer:
Bachelor's Degree: Communication, General
Learn more about different paths to this career
Life & Career Milestones
I've taken a lot of twists and turns
1.
After a college study abroad in Russia, moving overseas, meeting America business people in the county of Estonia, and starting the American Chamber of Commerce in Estonia.
2.
Joining the US Department of State as a Foreign Service Officer and serving as a Public Affairs Officer at the US Embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia.
3.
Marrying my husband, LTC Jim McKinney, and raising our children while living and traveling across the country and around the world.
4.
Returning to South Carolina to join First Community Bank which my father, Jim Leventis co-founded.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Society in general:
You are too young to share your opinions.
How I responded:
When I first began my career connecting people and solving problems, I heard, "You are too young to share your opinions." I was very fortunate to have great encouragement from family and friends that allowed me to remain confident in my abilities. I took a good look at how I was communicating my opinions, and I worked at developing communications skills targeted to my audience. It is often true that the way you say something is just as important as what you say.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
That may not seem like a hurdle but think about how often you have the chance to stay with something you know vs try something new. I have moved to places I had never been, joined industries I knew nothing about, was scared to death and loved it!