After the Exam – Grant Professionals Foundation

By Bethany Turner, GPC of bmtconsulting
GPC Scholar

When I first learned about the Grant Professional Certification (GPC) through a #GrantChat, I knew I wanted to become a GPC. About a year ago I earnestly started preparing to sit for the GPC exam. I was fortunate to receive a scholarship from the Grant Professionals Foundation. This gave me a definite timeline to sit for the exam. I knew I had to take it by September 30, 2016, and that really gave me a lot of motivation.

To be able to sit for the exam, I had to take the eligibility quiz, submit my eligibility packet, and then once it was approved, schedule my exam. The GPCI outlines all the steps and the timeline you need to complete them on their website. Since I had to take the test by September 30, 2016, I scheduled my test at a Kryterion Testing Center near me. The hardest part of scheduling my exam was deciding when I wanted to take it. Kryterion Testing Centers have options all day long. I took both the multiple choice and writing prompt on the same day.

I thought I would feel a huge relief after the test was over, but I more felt anxious and extremely tired. I took the exam on a Thursday, and it took me the whole weekend to feel energy again.

But after taking the exam, I still celebrated with Starbucks and a steak dinner cooked by my husband.

When I received the email to let me know I had passed the GPC exam and become a GPC, we celebrated even more. I sent texts to my family and a few close friends and then made the announcement on my favorite social media sites. I spent part of the day updating my professional profiles, resume, email signatures to include the GPC. My husband brought me flowers. That evening we went out to dinner, GPC’s choice, and got dessert. During that day when I would think about passing the exam, I would just smile to myself. It still brings a smile to my face. I felt a huge sense of relief and accomplishment after I received the official email.

I had lots of people cheering me on through the process, and I appreciated all of their support! Many are GPCs. Knowing that these grant professionals who have gone before me and become GPCs were encouraging me on made such an impact.

Sitting for the GPC exam does take a great deal of preparation. I had to dedicate a lot of time to studying and preparing. The preparation alone to sit for the exam has made me a much better grant professional. It gave me the tools and specifically confidence I needed to feel like a true professional.

Bio: Bethany Turner is a Grant Professional Certified (GPC) and owner of bmtconsulting – funding your future. After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Studies from Ball State University, Bethany got her start in the grant professional as an AmeriCorps VISTA member in 2011.Since becoming a grant professional, Bethany has worked with many different organizations securing more than a million dollars in federal, state, and private foundation funds. These grant monies have been awarded for disaster response and rebuilding, humanitarian aid, grief counseling, arts and culture, arts education, drama therapy, historic preservation, and higher education. In 2015, Bethany earned a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Administration from Western Kentucky University. Bethany loves reading, traveling (anywhere and everywhere), and cheering on The Ohio State Buckeyes and Denver Broncos.