Why I chose to go to MATC…

I made a decision to return to school in November of 2015. This decision was not an easy one because it meant my wife would have to bear the burden of covering all household costs pretty much on her own. This is a decision I would have never made if it had not been for her willingness to do so. I am humbled that she believes in me enough to bear that responsibility. With that, I went into the Spring 2015 semester driven to maximize this opportunity.

I already had acquired a BBA-Accounting from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, so initially, I planned to pursue a second BBA degree with an emphasis in Information Technology Management. When first entering the program, the objective was to obtain the BBA-ITM, and then to acquire a position with a consulting firm. I figured with my experience in public accounting (audit) and a second degree in IT management, I would be well-equipped for that career path. It would end up being my first programming class (Visual Basic) that would change all of that.

My VB instructor pulled me aside after class one day and asked why I wasn’t pursuing a Masters degree in IT Management, rather than a Bachelor’s degree. Embarrassingly, I did not have an answer. I explained to him quite honestly that I was not familiar with the Master’s degree program for IT Management. He directed me to a counselor and from there, plans changed!

Still, after reviewing the curriculum for the MS-ITM program at UWM, I felt a void in this path. The MS-ITM program develops people so that they can “manage” IT teams or personnel. But it did not provide an opportunity to actually learn to necessarily program. This seemed a little counter-intuitive. How could I possibly be an effective IT Manager without knowing how to program?

Being faced with this question internally, I checked how difficult it would be to acquire a degree in Computer Sciences. I discovered it would take another four years of schooling, and that there was no way on Earth I would ever be able to do it concurrently with the MS-ITM program. More importantly, as much as I know my wife loves me, I did not think it would be a pleasant conversation if I would propose four more years of schooling.

I then looked into a couple Coding Boot Camps. It simply was too expensive, and I was not sure if I could provide 12 to 16 hours of any day to a camp considering my parental responsibilities.

That was when I decided to check the Milwaukee Area Technical College out. I took a C# programming class this past Summer and was very impressed with how much I learned and how effective the instructor was. I discussed my objectives with him and discovered that the Associates Degree program in Software and Web development was everything I wanted in a program. My electives requirement was already met because of the classes I took at UWM for my BBA-Accounting Degree, and I could complete MATC’s program in a year and a half, while continuing my pursuit of an MS-ITM at UWM!

Needless to say, I feel very comfortable with the path I am currently on. Most importantly, so is my wife! As for my career path? I believe consulting may have taken a backseat to my desire to continue on in the area of software development. I proudly take on the title of “geek”.