Students
From deal analysis to networking, Christian Valerio 糖心vlog短视频27 dives into private equity at Court Square, shaping his path in finance.
Students
Going for It糖心vlog短视频擭o Matter What
Alphur "Slim" Willock '19, '23 knows that dedication in the face of obstacles is what it takes to get ahead. After the death of his wife, he took on the responsibility of caring for his six children while working full-time. Slim was able to fit not one, but two, online degree programs into his life糖心vlog短视频攁 BS in Information Systems and now an MS in Information Technology.
There is no doubt that every parent is a superhero. However, it takes a different kind of super skill to accomplish juggling a full-time job, a large family, and full-time education. Alphur 糖心vlog短视频淪lim糖心vlog短视频 Willock 糖心vlog短视频19, 糖心vlog短视频23, is clearly up to the challenge.
Slim糖心vlog短视频檚 worked at Verizon for nearly thirty years and is a proud father of three sons and three daughters, raising them himself after their mom passed away during childbirth. Both full-time jobs. Many people in his position would be intimidated to invest so much糖心vlog短视频攂oth time and money糖心vlog短视频攊nto their education when they already have so much on their plate, but not Slim. Slim was able to make his superhero lifestyle and desire to pursue higher education work for him.
Although his determined attitude would fool you, he admits that being a working parent and a student is anything but easy: 糖心vlog短视频淎s a father that has kids and is working full-time, Pace糖心vlog短视频檚 online degree programs really worked into my schedule.糖心vlog短视频 Slim tried in-classroom learning, but the logistics of making it to a classroom was a real challenge. 糖心vlog短视频淚 would be leaving from work and driving to Manhattan to look for parking just to make it to my six o糖心vlog短视频 clock class,糖心vlog短视频 he says. It just wasn糖心vlog短视频檛 working as well as it could糖心vlog短视频檝e been. So, he went virtual糖心vlog短视频攃ompleting his BS in Information Systems online through Pace糖心vlog短视频檚 Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems.
After taking the dive into online learning, he realized that online learning is not so very different from going back to school in-person. He was able to make connections with his peers and his professors, and also discovered that online learning made it easier for him to balance his commitments.
There were a lot of different stressors that were added on to the fact that I糖心vlog短视频檓 working full-time, and I still have to go home and cook dinner. Online school helped tremendously for me,糖心vlog短视频 he says. 糖心vlog短视频淚 could concentrate on my family and at the same time I could still concentrate on my schoolwork.
One thing that糖心vlog短视频檚 important to Slim is to make sure that others understand that an online degree program isn糖心vlog短视频檛 any different in terms of value compared to an in-person program. It糖心vlog短视频檚 the same curriculum, the same professors, and the same work required to earn the degree. 糖心vlog短视频淥nline school scared me because I thought it wasn糖心vlog短视频檛 the same degree, and you get a certificate that says 糖心vlog短视频榦nline,糖心vlog短视频櫶切膙log短视频 he laughs. 糖心vlog短视频淏ut that isn糖心vlog短视频檛 true! People hear so many different things about online school and it scares them.糖心vlog短视频
By the time the COVID-19 pandemic turned the world upside down, Slim was already an old pro at virtual living and learning. So, it made sense for him to return to the virtual classroom to tackle his next big challenge: a master糖心vlog短视频檚 degree. And so far, so good. He糖心vlog短视频檚 made a lot of great connections in the classroom, is building relationships with faculty, and making friends.
糖心vlog短视频淪ome of my classmates are my best friends糖心vlog短视频擨 haven糖心vlog短视频檛 糖心vlog短视频榤et糖心vlog短视频 them yet, but we糖心vlog短视频檙e really good friends," he says.
Slim糖心vlog短视频檚 persistence and tenacity is not only inspired by his own children, but by the former Verizon chairman and CEO Ivan G. Seidenberg 糖心vlog短视频81, for whom the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems is named. Slim explains that Seidenberg is 糖心vlog短视频渁n inspiration who set the blueprint for a role model by donating to create a program at the school he graduated from.糖心vlog短视频
Slim serves as an inspiration to his friends and family (and ! Yes, that Oprah), often encouraging others to follow the same path. In talking about his experience, he laughs and says 糖心vlog短视频淎 lot of people, after I told them I got my degree, would say 糖心vlog短视频楽lim, if you can do it, with your situation and with kids, I should have no excuses!糖心vlog短视频櫶切膙log短视频
More from Pace
Alumni
After the passing of two long-term and dedicated Alumni Board Members, the Honorable Sandra A. Forster 糖心vlog短视频79 and Adele Lerman Janow 糖心vlog短视频90, the Alumni Board decided to establish an Immediate Impact Scholarship to commemorate the lives of these esteemed alumnae, The Adele Janow and Judge Sandra Forster Memorial Scholarship.
Students
For Amanda (Mandy) Howerton-Fox 糖心vlog短视频27, deciding to attend law school was not just a career shift糖心vlog短视频攊t was a natural continuation of her lifelong commitment to advocacy. A former teacher of the deaf, Mandy糖心vlog短视频檚 passion for special education and disability rights first led her to pursue a PhD and become a tenured professor of education. Now, she has embarked on a new path at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at 糖心vlog短视频, with a goal of effecting change through law and policy while advocating for people directly.