OHIO Chillicothe graduate serves her community through finance

�� Chillicothe graduate Teela Pierce Woofter is leveraging her success to fuel the region she calls home. As a first-generation college student, she balanced full-time employment, higher education and a growing family, ultimately building a thriving career in finance.

A graduate of Huntington High School, Woofter began her college education early through the College Credit Plus program which enables students to earn college credit while satisfying their high school graduation requirements.

“It was a great way to get my feet wet and start working on the basics,” she said.

At 18, she set her sights on a career in health care and pursued a nursing major. Despite completing prerequisites for a nursing degree, she faced a roadblock in the form of the Health Education Systems (HESI) exam. Despite excelling in every other area, the math portion kept her from advancing to clinicals.

“I kept missing the mark by just half a percent,” Woofter recalled. “It was incredibly frustrating, but my advisor helped me pivot when I needed it most.”

Woofter then took courses in accounting, statistics and marketing, earning an Associate in Science in 2019.

While taking classes, Woofter worked full time, starting as a home health aide on night shifts and later transitioning to the emergency department at Adena Regional Medical Center in Chillicothe, where she supported case management and worked in billing and coding. A promotion led her to a position as a financial advocate, a role that sparked her interest in finance and consumer marketing.

Her experience on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic left Woofter ready for change.

“I trained as a tech and nurse’s aide, working over 40 hours a week with no overtime pay,” she said. “It was exhausting and heartbreaking.”

Burnt out and ready for a change, Woofter transitioned into a role as member representative specialist at Atomic Credit Union in Chillicothe. Thanks to her diverse education and experience in the financial side of healthcare, she quickly rose to a management position.

“The foundation I built through my coursework gave me an edge,” she said. “Accounting, statistics, Excel — those skills set me up for success.”

Today, Woofter helps manage a credit union branch with seven tellers and five lenders. Her days are filled with running reports, supervising branch operations, processing and approving loans, and more.

Woofter is most passionate about the credit counseling she provides to credit union members.

“I love watching people grow and supporting them as they build credit,” Woofter said.

Woofter is proud to have graduated from OHIO Chillicothe debt-free and to have purchased her first home during the pandemic.

“I see so many people with student loan debt and no degree,” she said. “Starting early and staying focused made all the difference.”

She credits �� with giving her the tools to succeed.

“The variety of class times and online options helped me balance work and school,” she said.

Woofter advises students to be open to opportunities.

“Be open-minded to all the opportunity that comes to you and don't be afraid to change your mind,” she said. “If you had asked me five years ago where I saw myself, it would have been working as an RN in the emergency department. I never imagined I'd be in the world of finance. You may have a specific goal in mind, but you may have to go down a different path to reach that end goal.”

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