Robert Winslow Jr., BA Business Administration Management

When Robert Winslow Jr. was thinking about going back to school, Florida Tech was his top choice.

“Many years ago, a few of my best friends were urging me to finish my bachelor’s degree. Florida Tech was on the top of my list. I was impressed with the aviation program and the student success stories from previous students.

A native Floridian currently residing in Deland, FL, Florida Tech’s location was also important to him: “Florida Tech seemed to give me the best of both worlds, being based in Melbourne but also having a one hundred percent online business program.”

Robert Winslow Jr.’s Bachelor’s in Business Administration Management is setting him up for an advanced education. He is considering earning his Master’s in Supply Chain Management in the future.

“Education means a lot to me. Furthering my education was an even better idea. Maybe one day I will work at Florida Tech.”

While balancing work and school was a challenge for Winslow Jr., earning his bachelor’s degree online kept him balanced. “Being a part-time student has been extremely beneficial.”

May 2017, Winslow Jr. walked alongside online and on-campus graduates in Florida Tech’s largest commencement to date.

Let’s hear more about his time as a student, in his own words:

Education is a lifetime of learning, and my degree at Florida Tech has been extremely important to me over the past few years. Four years ago, I was caught in a quandary about getting another degree. I had graduated TDI trucking school and about six months later received my associates from Seminole State University in Lake Mary, Florida. I had thought about continuing on to get my bachelor’s in business or criminal justice. Florida Institute of Technology was my top choice over University of Phoenix, University of Florida or Mountain State University.

Early on in my academic career, I had pursued a degree in criminal justice, but after careful deliberation, business seemed the more pragmatic choice. One of the greatest challenges is overcoming the basic requirements and having to take a few courses I had enrolled in previously. My biggest challenge is the desire to be a straight-A student but realizing I work in a demanding career requiring 60 to 75 hours of work. Trust me, I wish I had graduated Magna Cum Laude earlier, but the knowledge I have gained over the past few years has made a difference in my life.

Education is important, and the ability to work at your own pace and the arrival of the online classroom has made it overall a rewarding few years.

Getting my degree has taken four years of hard work taking one class every eight weeks. The most rewarding part of the online experience is taking one class working diligently over the eight-week period and sometimes seeing the A on my official transcript. That makes all the difference.

Many times I was asked to go out, but I kept focused on finishing all the assignments and taking all the exams. In my entire tenure at Florida Institute of Technology up to this point, I've missed only one assignment. (Actor) Peter Gallagher was quoted as saying “To stay on the map you’ve got to keep showing up.”