{"id":16119,"date":"2021-07-08T17:40:57","date_gmt":"2021-07-08T17:40:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fiualumni.com\/stay-connected\/alumni-news\/newsroom\/?p=16119"},"modified":"2021-07-21T17:45:57","modified_gmt":"2021-07-21T17:45:57","slug":"10-ways-an-fiu-degree-completed-fully-online-enhances-careers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fiualumni.com\/stay-connected\/alumni-news\/newsroom\/index.php\/2021\/07\/08\/10-ways-an-fiu-degree-completed-fully-online-enhances-careers\/","title":{"rendered":"10 ways an FIU degree, completed fully online, enhances careers"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u2013By Monica Smith for FIU News<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Education changes lives. It\u2019s been said that the decision to pursue a college degree is an investment. For some, the investment provides immediate benefits and for others it can help in many professional ways.<\/p>\n

These students and alumni share how the decision to pursue an FIU degree\u2014100 percent online\u2014helped them achieve their goals.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"robert-bello.jpeg\"
Robert Bello<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
1. Job security<\/strong><\/div>\n
For travel nurse Robert Bello, his\u00a0bachelor\u2019s degree in nursing<\/a>\u00a0allows him to gain the skills and knowledge needed for his industry and take his classes with him as he pursues high-pay travel nursing positions around the country. He notes that he chose nursing because it\u2019s a career that is needed nationwide, and he\u2019s improving his “job security” with a degree.
\n <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"felix-virto.jpg\"
Felix Virto<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
2. Specialized knowledge
\n<\/strong>Felix Virto \u201918\u2014program manager of integration, network deployment integration at Crown Castle\u2014was responsible for the 5G infrastructure used for the 2020 Super Bowl in Miami. He says his\u00a0M.S. in Engineering Management: Enterprise Systems<\/a>\u00a0offers him great confidence.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll of my work was based on what I learned to obtain my degree at FIU. I would have never been able to produce the level of detail and quality in my work had I not taken the courses within my engineering management program,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"shahid-ullah2.jpg\"
Shahid Ullah<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
3. Networking
\n<\/strong>Many FIU schools and colleges offer internships to students who may have the opportunity to turn a temporary position into a permanent one. This is the case for\u00a0Master of Health Services Administration<\/a>\u00a0alumnus Shahid Ullah \u201919.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started as an intern shadowing the COO of John Knox and was hired as an entry-level manager. FIU has a reputation in producing good health care professionals,\u201d says Ullah, who is now a senior accountant for John Knox Village of Florida.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"chelsea-bermudez.jpeg\"
Chelsea Bermudez<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

4. Set an example
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

As a single mom, Chelsea Bermudez knew she had to set an example for her daughter who frequently spoke about her future and what it would look like.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe conversation made me reevaluate my education,\u201d she admits. Bermudez \u201921 will continue her studies at FIU; she was recently accepted to the online\u00a0Master of Arts in Latin American and Caribbean Studies<\/a>\u00a0for the fall 2021 term.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"dr.-tamelia-lakraj-edwards.jpeg\"
Dr. Tamelia Lakraj-Edwards<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

5. Career change
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dr. Tamelia Lakraj-Edwards \u201921 decided to augment her medical career with the\u00a0online Master of Public Health degree<\/a>\u00a0to help more patients.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a difference in being in an office and treating patients and only reaching 20 to 35 people a day versus being able to work with an entire population. I wanted to pursue my MPH degree to make a greater impact and treat more people at one time,\u201d says Dr. Lakraj-Edwards.\u201cI am learning to be a liaison and advocate for every person in a community through integrative and value-based care for greater impact.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"alex-martinez-rivera2.jpg\"
Alex Martinez Riviera<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

6. Global mindset
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

FIU works hard to provide its students with a global view through its\u00a0Global Learning Medallion program<\/a>. According to Alex Martinez Riviera \u201920, a Global Learning Medallion recipient, one reason FIU offers a global view is because of its location.<\/p>\n

\u201cFIU is in Miami, which is a melting pot of culture and communication and you get the Miami \u2018flavor\u2019 from the professors, which you don\u2019t get from other universities,\u201d says the\u00a0International Relations major<\/a>\u00a0and aviation contributing writer for\u00a0captainjetson.com.<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"theodore_moore-1.jpg\"
Theodore Moore<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

7. Flexible for life balance
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Online learning offers flexibility for life balance. For Theodore Moore \u201914, who pursued his\u00a0master\u2019s degree in hospitality management online<\/a>, this aspect helped him continue his professional path.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat spoke to me the most with FIU was the curriculum and the layout of the courses with eight weeks for each class. This worked well with my schedule and lifestyle. I could have the flexibility I needed to make deadlines, while also being able to be successful with my career and other interests,\u201d says Moore, opening director of style at AC Hotel in Fort Lauderdale.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"alexander-melcon.jpg\"
Alexander Melcon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

8. Marketability
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

When Alexander Melcon \u201915 started looking for his first position in Miami after graduation, he found there was great interest in his\u00a0master\u2019s degree in engineering management<\/a>. Currently, he is a health and wealth business analyst at ADP.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe master\u2019s degree from FIU\u2014It gets you noticed, and a master\u2019s degree is very valuable. You stand out from the crowd. This degree intrigued a lot of managers when I was interviewing. It\u2019s not your typical MBA. The engineering management degree set me apart,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"hollie-gow.jpg\"
Hollie Gow<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

9. Advancement
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

For some graduates, like Hollie Gow \u201908, a degree is a catalyst for a career and lifelong learning.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe\u00a0fully online RN to BSN<\/a>\u00a0degree program created the foundation for the rest of my career,\u201d she says. Gow continued her studies to earn her doctoral degree in nursing practice (DNP) and is currently the director of professional nursing practice standards for the Miami Cancer Institute at Baptist Hospital.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"alshima-shuaib.jpg\"
Alshima Shuaib<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

10. Build soft skills and communication
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

With online learning, students need support from family and friends, says Alshima Shuaib, who thanks her parents and mentors. However, Shuaib credits her online program for the opportunity to perfect communication strategies, especially crucial in a remote-work world. A current\u00a0Master of Public Health<\/a>\u00a0student, Shuaib says that with the\u00a0Career Engage<\/a>\u00a0micro-credential badging program offered to FIU\u2019s public health students, she developed applicable and vital skills.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe thing I liked most about the program, in addition to the hard skills, were the soft skills I learned. Communication is more important now than ever,\u201d Shuaib says. \u201cThe program prepared and allowed me to apply what I\u2019ve learned and integrate that with my on-the-job training.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u2013By Monica Smith for FIU News Education changes lives. It\u2019s been said that the decision to pursue a college degree is an investment. For some, the investment provides immediate benefits and for others it can help in many professional ways. These students and alumni share how the decision to pursue an FIU degree\u2014100 percent online\u2014helped […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":16121,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[195],"tags":[453,204,206,448,427,449],"class_list":["post-16119","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-career-development","tag-alumni","tag-career","tag-career-development","tag-continuing-education","tag-fiu-online","tag-online-degree"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fiualumni.com\/stay-connected\/alumni-news\/newsroom\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16119"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fiualumni.com\/stay-connected\/alumni-news\/newsroom\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fiualumni.com\/stay-connected\/alumni-news\/newsroom\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fiualumni.com\/stay-connected\/alumni-news\/newsroom\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fiualumni.com\/stay-connected\/alumni-news\/newsroom\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16119"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/fiualumni.com\/stay-connected\/alumni-news\/newsroom\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16119\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16122,"href":"https:\/\/fiualumni.com\/stay-connected\/alumni-news\/newsroom\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16119\/revisions\/16122"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fiualumni.com\/stay-connected\/alumni-news\/newsroom\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16121"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fiualumni.com\/stay-connected\/alumni-news\/newsroom\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16119"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fiualumni.com\/stay-connected\/alumni-news\/newsroom\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16119"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fiualumni.com\/stay-connected\/alumni-news\/newsroom\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16119"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}