Balancing work, family and school can be challenging at times. But for Christian Borrero, all the late night study sessions were worth it.
The father of two received a promotion after earning his MBA in Project Management from Florida Tech. He also gained knowledge he’ll use for the rest of his career.
“I thought a lot about enrolling, but now, after finishing, I see how good of a decision it was. The skills that I learned will keep me going to further positions in my career.”
We spoke with Borrero about what inspires him to further his education and his experience in the online classroom.
Q. Tell us about your background.
I’m originally from Puerto Rico. I lived there until I finished the BS in Computer Science from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus. After graduation, I moved to Melbourne, FL, where I have been working as a software engineer for Northrop Grumman for the past four years. Aside from work, I have a wife, 5-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son who are my energy every day.
Q. What were the most important factors in your decision to choose Florida Tech?
It is a reputable university with great online programs. With work and spending time with my family, I didn’t like the idea of going physically to take a class, so Florida Tech was my top choice.
Q. How will your Florida Tech degree make a difference in your career?
It gave me the tools to not only understand the technical aspect of my work but also to recognize the decisions the company makes as a whole and see the bigger picture.
Q. Do you have any future plans with your degree?
Yes, I just got a promotion to senior software engineer thanks to the degree. The next step is to demonstrate the knowledge I learn and become a software engineer manager in the company.
Q. What surprised you most about taking an online program?
The organization in all the courses. I have heard stories about other universities on how hard it is to understand the material online. In Florida Tech, the video lectures and quality professors made everything well-organized. Taking the course online felt like the professor was there giving the lecture in person.
Q. What was your favorite class and why?
My favorite class was the capstone course, Strategic Management, because of the business strategy game simulation. This simulation was a group project where we made decisions with real-time data that would affect the performance of our company. At the end, we ended up with very profitable company, and it was great to know that it was because of the decisions we made as a group.
Q. What was your most valuable takeaway from the program?
How important strategic management can be to a company. It shows the value and how the company can be turned around with a strategic management plan.
Q. What advice would you give other students who are considering enrolling in the program?
Do it. I thought a lot about enrolling, but now, after finishing, I see how good of a decision it was. The skills that I learned will keep me going to further positions in my career.
Q. Who has been your support system?
My wife. She understood every day that I came from work and went directly to study. She would take care of the kids alone at that time so that I could concentrate. Without her support, I wouldn’t have been able to finish the degree.
Q. What was the most challenging part of your student journey?
Time. After a long day of work, I would go home tired, but I still wanted to spend time with my wife and play with my kids. Then at night, I would study as much as I could before falling asleep. Maintaining a work/life balance while studying is hard, but in the end, it is worth it.
Q. Who or what inspires you to succeed?
My grandfather. He is not here anymore, but since I was little, he emphasized how important it is to study and get far in my career. He always gave me the financial help to study, and two years ago, he passed away. I would have loved for him to watch me graduate with this degree, but he has always been the motor for me to keep going and achieve goals in my life.
Q. What is one fun fact about you?
I get really excited every time I see an all-you-can-eat buffet. I always get my bang for the buck in those places.
Have you completed one of Florida Tech’s online programs? We would love to share your success story in our Student Spotlight series. Contact us at studentspotlight@bisk.com for additional details.
