Kameryn Cofield has always been drawn to how technology works — how it moves from concept to real-world applications. Today, she’s tapping into that full spectrum every day: getting paid to fix problems in the field while studying the systems behind them.
Working in customer support over the phone for a while made something clear for Cofield — she wanted to be the fix, not explain it. “I was always going the extra mile,” she told us, “but I kept thinking, I wish I could just get out there and show them.” So, she made the move to do just that.
Currently, as a field technician, Cofield spends her days in and out of homes and businesses, installing equipment, checking signals and solving problems on the ground. But she’s also finishing a computer science degree with a focus in IT — fully online and fully paid for.
She’s part of a growing group of Spectrum employees enrolled in the company’s education benefit, which covers 100% of tuition for hundreds of online degree and certificate programs from 30 universities and learning providers. The company shifted to this model from a reimbursement-based program — and the response was immediate. According to Spectrum’s EVP of Human Resources, Paul Marchand, program participation among frontline workers like Cofield has more than doubled.
"Under the old program, only one-third of participants were frontline workers, despite making up two-thirds of our workforce." explained Marchand. But the new structure removes the upfront financial and logistical barriers. Now, frontline folks make up 68% of participants.
That’s what drew Cofield. “I knew I had to take advantage of it,” she said. “The opportunity to further my education without the financial burden was too good to pass up.”
While it removed the upfront cost, Cofield said there was still the adjustment of going back to school in her thirties. “[It] definitely isn’t the easiest,” she admitted. “But the program I chose is designed for working adults. The flexibility of online courses allows me to balance my studies with my work and personal life.” Throughout the program, she’s become more used to schoolwork on days off or opening her iPad during lunch breaks for smaller assignments — staying on top of school and work without being overwhelmed.
Moreover, as a computer science major, a lot of what she learns directly applies to her daily work, helping expand her understanding and technical efficiency. “On the flip side, my field experience makes some of my assignments a bit easier to complete,” she added. “I can draw on real-world scenarios to inform my classwork.”
Taking it up a degree
As a current Field Tech V, Cofield’s short-term goal is to move to a Field Tech VI, the logical next step in the company’s progression system. But her longer-term vision is about mentorship. “I’d love to move into a training role, to share what I’ve learned from both the degree and the field," she reflected. "I know how much it helps to have someone walk you through it.”
According to Marchand, the program is meant to do exactly that — give people not just a credential, but a way into more responsibility or new positions with better pay.
“Employees who participate in Spectrum’s Education Benefit are advancing their careers at a higher rate than their peers,” he detailed, noting that those “engaged in the program have a 24% higher promotion rate than non-participants.” And according to its partnered talent development platform, Guild, “workers engaged with their programs are 3.5 times more likely to move into another internal role and experience incremental wage increases twice as large as their non-engaged peers.”
For Cofield, the impact goes beyond her own career. She’s focused on helping people in their homes and businesses — not only to solve network problems but help them understand a bit more about how it all works.
“My favorite part of the job is helping customers,” she said, “not just by fixing their issues, but by educating and empowering them to become self-sufficient and confident in managing their tech.
It's a principle she's applied to her own life, betting on herself to learn something new. "As someone who took the risk of moving away from everyone I know to start down a new career path, I understand the uncertainty that can come with that decision," acknowledged Cofield, but it's one she now feels confident in.
“My advice is to give it a shot. Whatever 'it' might be for you," she said. "Taking that first step can lead you to discover your true passion,” adding that if things don’t go as planned, working for someone who invests in your education and growth is deeply invaluable.
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