Welcome to my online education webpage
This webpage is about my experiences with different education programs. I want to share some of the challenges I encountered in the traditional classroom setting and the success I achieved through online education. My hope is to encourage others who like me want to achieve goals of personal and professional growth through higher education but have not pursued these because of family, work and other commitments in their lives. Education has increased my self esteem, sharpened my technical and managerial skills and given me greater insight into the role of leadership in government, business and our community. Education has helped me further my career goals. I sincerely hope that you will feel encouraged to achieve yours too.
It's never too late to go back to school
You will be surprised at the large number of adults with full time jobs and families who like me have returned to school through online classrooms and education programs. Many online vocational, technical, undergraduate and graduate level programs are available to you - I am sure some of these will suit your needs. Don't give up on your dreams, hopes and aspirations. Discover what educational options are available to you and press on! Here is a link to an Article Summary I wrote during my MBA program titled adults who do it all. This article addresses the challenges faced by adults with families and careers who return to school to pursue their goals of higher education thanks to online education programs.
Education - builder of self-confidence
I retired from the U.S. Army about ten years ago to face stern competition in private industry. Armed with a Bachelor's degree from University of Maryland, the experience I gained in the field of Information Technology (IT) while in the Army, and a heart full of hope I secured a good job and decent salary. However, I soon learned that in private industry, just as in the service besides hard work and discipline, higher education and technical training are the best means to further one's career. Clearly, education empowers you with knowledge and skills to help you perform better and can ultimately help you command better jobs and higher salaries.
Technical Certifications - build new skills
I believe that in this, our new global economy one must become familiar and maintain some level of proficiency in new emerging technologies. Consider the impact that outsourcing for example has had not just on our economy but on the types of jobs available and those that are not. Some of the jobs we considered "high tech" a few years ago like programming and help-desk support are now being outsourced to other countries. Yes, at the end of the day profit will determine whether a programmer is hired here in the US or whether the work will be exported to another country for substantially less money. Getting certifications from Microsoft, Novell and Cisco gave me a competitive edge over my peers in terms of job assignments and salary.
This is how I got started on my MBA program
Almost three years ago my wife Evelyn encouraged me to enroll in a graduate level online education program with University of Phoenix. Of all my education experiences, the UoP program proved the one best suited for my personal needs and aspirations - quite frankly, the one I have enjoyed most in my life. What I enjoy most about the UoP online education program is flexibility in terms of where and when I can attend class.
I began attending online classes while on vacation in Amsterdam
I was on vacation in Amsterdam with my wife Evelyn about three years ago when I attended my first online session with UoP. I remember just as if it was last week, walking through downtown Amsterdam from our hotel room to one of many Internet Cafes, and loging on to my class chatroom to participate in ongoing discussion threads. I even submitted my first research paper online the very next day after our arrival on vacation there. I kept up with my homework and participate in class while working in Canada and Germany, and while on vacation in Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, and the New Jersey shore. By the way, Evelyn and I celebrated our first year wedding anniversary in Spain. While there, I was able to attend class online too. A few months later I attended my next-to-last MBA class from Nassau while on a SCUBA diving and snorkeling vacation with family and friends.
I completed my MBA program with UoP
I am very happy - I completed my first graduate level program - an MBA in Technology Management. After taking a little time off from school I have decided to pursue a PhD - Doctor of Business in Organizational Leadership. I look forward to this program with a great deal of enthusiasm and plan to share my experiences with you right here.
Some believe online education programs are easier than traditional classroom based education programs
Well, the truth is that online education is not the best alternative for everyone. Some individuals perform better in a traditional classroom setting. Based on my personal experiences with the UoP online education program over the past three years and some of the experiences shared by fellow students during that time, I believe that to succeed in an online program you must be both, self-driven and highly motivated. Some may think that participating in online education programs is easier than traditional classroom education in terms of how much homework is required and the complexity of assignments. On the contrary, the online education program I was enrolled in required timely submission of individual assignments like research papers, posting of answers to several discussion questions throughout the week and daily participation in online discussion threads. And that's not all, there is also a lot of team work - you will collaborate online with a team of fellow students to complete weekly assignments. And there are reading assignments too - sometimes hundreds of pages every week from books in printed or electronic form, and scholarly articles from well known sources. There are also computer-based simulations to help you better understand the material discussed in class - most of these were lots of fun.
