CHANGING THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT COLLEGE
Going back to college is a big step, especially when you have a lot of responsibilities on your plate. The fear of not being able to balance work, family, and school can deter people from pursuing higher education. But, the story of Akash Ahuja, a physical therapist who found his calling in cybersecurity, may just make you rethink the way you view college.
“I used to be a physical therapist, and I worked with the elderly population. I worked for this nursing home where they had a ransomware attack, and they had all their systems locked out. They couldn’t figure out what medications to take, what kind of protocols were in place for them, and everything was a mess,” said Akash.
“Two days later the biggest tragedy hit me. I had $18,000 in my bank account and when I woke up, it was Zero. There was somebody that had exploited one of my accounts that my son was using for his gaming app. I felt really frustrated, how could someone take advantage of someone as vulnerable as seniors and kids? That’s what kind of prompted me to pursue another degree and Cybersecurity as a career,” he explains.
WANTING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
This life-changing event led him to Walsh College, where he discovered a whole new world of online education. The structure of the classes allowed him to study at his own pace and on his own schedule, something that he never thought possible while working nearly 50 hours a week and taking care of his family.
“The first class that I took at Walsh set into my schedule so perfectly. Most of the classes that I took were online and they were structured in such a way that you could go in and study at your own time and at your own pace. Before I joined Walsh I strongly believed in on-campus education. I said education cannot happen online and Walsh proved me wrong. All the labs that I’ve done, all the practicals, the assignments that I’ve done, it was like [being] in college itself– there was no difference.”
Akash is now a Network Security Specialist and an example of how Walsh College is designed differently. College doesn’t have to be a one-size-fits-all experience. With flexibility and accessibility of online education, and educators that bring real-world experience to the classroom, Walsh allows you to pursue your dreams and change the course of your life.
