Student News
"Why I Went Back to School After 10 Years as an IT Manager"
Essay by Jesse Johnson
Why go back to school after a fulfilling decade of money and career advancement in the hot career field of Information Technology? The answer is: personal enrichment.
I am a 34-year-old undergrad. This in itself isn’t unique, but my story may be. I have been an IT Manager, a Director of Technology, and a Project Manager for many types of companies, from advertising to education, from banking to manufacturing. Before that, I was a buyer and operations manager for an industrial distribution company. Now, I am back in college to finish the degree that has been calling at me to finish for more than 10 years!
Many people come to school late in life, whether to finish an undergraduate degree or get an advanced degree. In 1993, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, about half of all college students (8.2 million) were older than 25. But unlike so many others who either start school later or eventually come back, I did not need my bachelor’s degree to continue my career.
Until after I drove into Columbia from Minneapolis, in fact, I didn’t even know if I’d be accepted to USC. Once here, I tried to get in-state tuition, but didn’t have the prerequisites: living here for 12 months, or else having a full-time job or my own business before the first day of school. I learned of this at 1:30 p.m. the day before school started. Somehow, I got the paperwork, bank accounts, tax ID, and other necessities pulled together before the end of the day and established my own consulting firm.
Since coming to Columbia, I’ve maintained a full class schedule while continuing to work as a consultant and technical trainer. I even experienced two semesters of an interesting three-way split in education: I was the IT Director for a nearby college, taught advanced technical classes in the evening (for a private firm), and took daytime classes at USC. Thankfully, my wife has been fully supportive of my whirlwind of activities — and it helps to get by on little sleep.
I’m working on a degree in management science — specifically business information systems. The classroom training is often exactly what I do “in the field,” and some professors have been a little unnerved at the idea that I may have more experience than they. Quite often I don’t tell them my story. I’m not one to flaunt myself, and it’s not usually germane to the classroom. I also know from experience what it takes to teach — researching, creating curriculum, building labs, documentation, etc., and I wouldn’t want to undermine the efforts of the teacher.
My fellow students sometimes don’t seem to understand my zest for knowledge. After all, I came back to school to learn — to really learn. Sometimes they don’t “get” why I’m so overly engaged in the process. Often they ask me if I’m a professor or advisor. Perhaps other students can understand through me that learning is a lifelong joy and enhancement of oneself — and we are never done.
Driving me back to college was a personal motivation to finish what I started and a professional realization that I needed additional knowledge. I worked my way up through the ranks of several companies, learning all the time. No one learns everything they need by experience, however. I felt my lack of schooling for the first time when I was asked to put a budget together for an entire IT department; I was lost. An entire year’s worth of activity to plan, and I had no idea where to start. It was then that I knew I had to get back to school and finish my baccalaureate.
I also decided to join several of the organizations on campus including Delta Sigma Pi (business fraternity), the debate team, IT Organization, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). I helped found the transfer student honor society. I have taken leadership roles in some of these organizations, but have tried not to overshadow the young minds around me. They’ll benefit more than me from college-level experience in leadership. Besides, I’ve already had my day and continue to have it outside the walls of USC. So instead, I try to lead by example.
Once I graduate in August 2005, I hope to be even more employable. The greater goal, however, is educating myself. No matter where life’s challenges and thrills lead me, I will be the better man for the experience.
Jesse Johnson, 34, is an undergraduate student at the Moore School studying business information systems. He expects to graduate in August 2005.