Current occupation:
Repair Technician
What made you decide to pursue your degree as an adult?
After receiving my associate’s degree and having a short break in between semesters, I felt empty. It had felt like since I was not constantly learning, I was falling behind. I would feel unproductive and unhappy if I didn’t complete my goal for the day. I have made changes in my life to better my mental health while also providing myself with enough time to study and do well in my courses. A lot of my time at work has been consumed by schoolwork whenever I get the chance.
Why did you choose to study at Tiffin University?
I chose to study at Tiffin University because of the DragonNext program and also because of their Cybersecurity program. I wanted to spend the least amount of money possible on my degree and DragonNext made that possible for me. Tiffin is also one of the only schools that would make my current situation possible of working full-time while going to school full-time.
Describe your experience with the program so far.
I have had a great experience so far and have just completed my first two courses. I was not surprised and the technology was extremely easy to use and learn. I have had to give a lot of presentations for my in-person classes. I have enjoyed my online courses very much!
I have had great interactions both on Campus and online through email. I have had to ask many questions about my online classes and my professors have all answered very quickly and respectfully. I have had great conversations with many students on campus and also with professors. I have enjoyed my time and my interactions. It feels as if I have been given the opportunity to speak in higher intellectual conversations that I once could not be a part of.
How are you juggling work, life and going back to school? Any tips?
It has definitely been a challenge. I picked up time management quite early in my career and have been able to work full-time while in school since high school. My biggest tip is to plan out your day, I give myself 3-5 hours per day of study time depending on the week and what is due. I will also plan out my free time and try to hang out with friends and family at any chance I have. The biggest problem is definitely trying to manage a social life! I have had to make many sacrifices for school and miss out on a lot of fun events. But in the end it will always be worth having a great education rather than a few extra years of going to those events I miss out on. What I am trying to say is that sacrifices will have to be made for your time, it can be very stressful at times but just always remember that you’ve done it before and you’ll do it again.
What keeps you motivated to stay in the program?
What has kept me motivated has been realizing the opportunity that I have in life. I have been blessed with the opportunity to create success for myself. I get to gain an education that others do not get to have. I have grown up with friends who would do anything for this opportunity but were always told they couldn’t afford it. My motivation comes from an inner voice that forces education upon others. I am one that will sit with you and tell you what to do to get to the next step. I have always enjoyed guiding others and will never stop helping people.
What advice would you give to a prospective student who is thinking about going back to school?
The advice I would give to a prospective student is that you have an entire lifetime to do whatever it is that you think is important now. Get the school over with now and enjoy the rest of life with an education that will help guide you through success. Life is not handed to you but can become so much easier when you are given the tools that you will quickly realize everyone else is already using!
TU’s motto is: Without risk there is no gain. Can you tell us about a time when you took a risk and what you gained from it?
I took a risk last week to present at the 2024 Ohio Educators Summit here at the school district I work at, River Valley. I gained valuable public speaking experience and had a presentation about computer repair and networking help. I was given feedback that will help me become a better public speaker at the risk of having a poor presentation. My presentation went much better than I could’ve expected and I actually enjoyed teaching others about computers and networking.