After years of working to take care of his family, Kevin McHenry went back to school to earn his bachelor’s degree in finance. Now, three years later, he is ready to graduate with his MBA in December at Texas Wesleyan University.

McHenry attended Texas Wesleyan for his undergraduate work and went back for his master’s because he liked having access to his professors at the small school.

At first, McHenry, 38, was focused on working any job he could get to support his wife and three children. He worked for 15 years for American Airlines. “I actually cleaned the planes, buffed them, washed them,” he said. “Basically anything that would give me a raise.”

Despite taking a couple years of college courses in the ’90s, McHenry didn’t put his full focus on school until 2006, when Bell Helicopter for his education.  After graduating, he took a year off before starting work on his MBA.

McHenry said he was interested in business in middle school and high school, but at that time, it was about selling candy.

Now, he wants to move up in Bell and start coaching individuals on money management. He said not enough people know how to handle their finances.

“That’s one of the reasons I believe we are in the economic situation we’re in.”

Though he tells his children to choose a job they love and not because it pays well, it was a lesson he didn’t learn until later in his career.

“I started early with a family, so a lot of my career moves were driven by money,” McHenry said. “I think a lot of us fall victim to being slaves to items and things and we find ourselves in jobs we don’t like just because they pay well.”