Tre Robinson always knew he wanted to get an advanced degree, but he felt going to a four-year college right out of high school wasn’t the best option for him. Due to Ivy Tech’s Associate Accelerated Program (ASAP), Robinson earned his Computer and Networking Technology degree in 11 months.
“I found out about the accelerated program through a counselor. He knew my family and what I was going through at school, so he kept his eyes on me,” Robinson said. “I was not in the position to go to a four-year college at the time, but he pointed me in the right direction.”
ASAP supports students as they earn a degree that traditionally takes two years in half the time. Robinson said the relationships he built with faculty and students were vital to his success, because there was always someone to encourage him when school became difficult.
“In my program, I had small classes with the same group of students every day. It created a very personal connection. If someone was struggling, we would pick each other up and help anyone who needed it.”
Robinson says the quick turnaround time helped him get into the workforce sooner. Shortly after graduation, he was hired as an analyst at Interactions LLC. After snagging the job, he took it upon himself to take on more responsibility at work, eventually earning himself a promotion to system administrator. He decided to transfer credits from Ivy Tech toward a four-year degree in software development after gaining a bit of money and experience.
“I am able to put more passion into what I study, because I have real-world experience,” he said. “So I decided I want to build up myself even more by going back to school.”
Today, Robinson works as a development automation engineer at Salesforce.
Robinson has advice for people considering college: “Have self-confidence. It may seem like you are taking on a lot at college, but when I transitioned to the workplace, I could handle more when other people would get stressed out. Also, find out what you are passionate about and study something that you have a legitimate interest in. Tech has been my passion from day one, so that passion transitioned into the workplace.”
For more information about the associate accelerated degree program, visit ivytech.edu/asap.
