Stanley Edokpolo credits Health Care Service Corporation for changing his life with mentorship and support for education and career development.
Colleagues say he’s made the most of those opportunities with unshakeable positivity and persistence.
Edokpolo’s journey with HCSC started with a job as a security guard for a contractor at the company’s Texas headquarters. He now works for HCSC on its information security risk exception team and has earned three academic degrees with help from HCSC’s tuition reimbursement program.
“I have been able to achieve goals that once seemed out of reach,” says Edokpolo. “It would have been significantly more difficult without the financial support provided by HCSC, which removed barriers to higher education and empowered me to pursue my academic goals.”
While working as a security guard, Edokpolo connected with HCSC employees, including the HCSC’s former chief information security officer, who guided him to additional certifications and encouraged him to apply for information security roles.
That mentorship helped Edokpolo achieve his goal of working in cybersecurity and pushed him to keep building his skills and credentials through the tuition reimbursement program.
Full-time and part-time HCSC employees are eligible for tuition reimbursement for academic programs and courses applicable to current or future positions within the company. They can receive up to $5,250 in tuition reimbursement every calendar year for relevant degree programs and certifications.
The benefit enabled Edokpolo to earn a bachelor’s in business administration/information technology management, a master’s in business administration/information technology, and a doctorate in business administration/organizational leadership.
Edokpolo’s success has come in the face of overwhelming adversity, including the death of his 13-year-old daughter in 2024. His positivity and faith kept him on track to accomplish his goals. “Keeping a positive attitude gives you strength,” he says. “It’s energy. It’s gas for your vehicle.”
Colleagues describe him as a friend, not just a coworker, and say his encouragement led them to pursue additional academic degrees, too.
“What impressed me most was that he never kept that knowledge journey to himself,” says Tony Gaston, an HCSC performance and results consultant. “When I began considering my own educational goals, Stanley became a mentor and encourager.”
Edokpolo’s first manager at HCSC, Tiana Bryant, is pursuing a master’s degree because he showed her how to do it in an affordable and efficient way. “He’s such an inspiration,” Bryant says. “He is pure positivity for the team. You get that vibe from him all the time.”
Edokpolo has already embarked on his next challenge: a post-doctoral certificate program in information technology to strengthen his cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and technology leadership skills.
“I want to push my education as far as I can go,” he says. “Education belongs to you. It makes you a more complete person. I want to help people believe they can aspire for more.”
