Steven Barrett

Transcript: My name is Steven Barrett, I’m from West Palm Beach, Florida, and I’m graduating with my MBA with a concentration in management. I graduated from Florida Tech previously in 2002 with my bachelor’s in computer science. On campus four years, and then afterwards I decided to advance my education further, and decided to come back to Florida Tech, but just in a different fashion, doing it online. The online option definitely allowed me the flexibility to still have some family time; plus I was working full time. My first degree, which I mentioned was in computer science, very applicable. That carried me straight through, still in the IT field. But, however, going up the management path now, it’s more business-oriented. So that’s why I decided to complement my education with an MBA. What was great with Florida Tech was definitely the staff that was there, the professors. I mean, they’re obviously very knowledgeable in the technology, but what was also key was that they’re also passionate about what they were teaching. It was very easy to talk with them outside of a lecture, you know, correspond by email. They’re always available to you – to answer any questions, throw any ideas around, even outside of what was clearly dictated in the curriculum. So they weren’t that rigid. Going online, there’s a little bit of apprehension. You know, I’m like, “Okay, how is this going to be engaging, right? Am I going to be disconnected and just responding to work once a week?” However, the professors did make it very engaging. People were all over the world, you know, collaborating, trying to get projects done, and everything else. I mean, I will tell you as a second time around graduating, even though it’s with my master’s this time, but I’m like, “Oh, great. You know, I’m finished, it’s completed.” But then as graduation day got closer and closer, I’m like this is awesome. It’s a good second achievement, better than the first time when I graduated.