“Early on in my career I was a self-taught computer programmer. My formal education consisted of a few classes at a couple different colleges, which didn’t go really well and in the end was well short of an undergraduate degree. Although advancement in the technical space wasn’t as constrained by lack of education, progress into the management ranks certainly was.”

“I needed a practical path to getting my undergraduate degree and that’s where Continuing Education at the University of Delaware came in. I could try a few courses to test the waters and prove to myself that I could perform at the undergraduate level, then if and when things went well, I could transition into a formal degree program.”

“I was working full time, attending to a young family full time and going to school. Balancing the demands of work, family and school required considerable self-discipline, compromises, sacrifices and negotiation with people who had to be #1 in your life at all times regardless of your other commitments.”

“From my first undergraduate economics class to the upper-level business administration courses, it took me six years to complete my degree once I really got going, with some core credits transferring from other schools.”

“At times, it really seemed like it would never end. But, early on I worked with my advisor to list all the classes I would need to graduate, a roadmap that helped me break what seemed like a huge undertaking down into manageable pieces. It gave me a clear, focused and achievable goal I could work toward, and for me that was the key to success. To this day, I still have the paper with all the classes checked off.”

“In the end, I graduated with honors right at the top of my class. I clearly recall graduation day and remember thinking that this moment was why I invested my time, made the sacrifices – and it was worth it. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

“The Continuing Education team helped me set the goal of receiving an undergraduate degree from UD. Since then, I moved up in the management ranks, went on to complete my MBA and have advanced into management and strategy consulting – that’s a long way from a self-taught programmer.”

“Even though it was a long journey, the start I received from the Continuing Education team made me understand that a degree was realistic and achievable, made me believe in myself and provided the encouragement and support that allowed me to succeed academically, professionally and at home. I couldn’t have done it without them!”

Edward Moore graduated magna cum laude from the University of Delaware with a B.S., Business Administration, later earning an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.