TJ Wisham is, and always has been, a busy man.
As both an undergraduate and graduate student at UL Lafayette, he was a running back for Ragin小蝌蚪APP Cajuns football and was active in several student organizations.
As a first-year student in the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 online M.S. in Systems Technology program, he was crowned Homecoming King by a panel of faculty and staff because of his academic and extracurricular accomplishments.
And now, less than a year after his graduation from the program, he has a full-time role in the field, a family business he小蝌蚪APP檚 helping grow, and two companies of his own.
For Wisham, the online systems technology graduate program was the bridge between his time as a student, leader, and athlete and his promising future as a professional.
Getting Involved as an Online Student
小蝌蚪APP淭o live forever, cherish the now.小蝌蚪APP
That小蝌蚪APP檚 the mantra Wisham lives by.
小蝌蚪APP淭his was something that I expressed a lot when I was Homecoming King,小蝌蚪APP he recalls. 小蝌蚪APP淚 want to live in a manner today such that whoever I run into, whoever I come into contact with, whoever I communicate with, cherishes the way I made them feel.小蝌蚪APP
Throughout his time at UL Lafayette, both as an undergraduate general studies student and a graduate systems technology online student, Wisham showed a dedication to making an impact on his campus and his community.
In addition to playing on the football team, he served as vice president of the Black Student-Athlete Association and as a football representative on the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
小蝌蚪APP淏eing able to have conversations with 小蝌蚪APP administration about things we needed as athletes and as African Americans during my time was big for me,小蝌蚪APP Wisham recalls. 小蝌蚪APP淎dministration was very open to ideas and very supportive of athletics and social justice issues. It meant a lot to have our President, Dr. Savoie, reach out and want to hear and talk to us about certain things and be supportive.小蝌蚪APP
Starting the Systems Technology Program
Even though Wisham thrived on campus as an undergraduate student at UL Lafayette, he also wanted to set himself up for success after college.
That小蝌蚪APP檚 why he enrolled in the online M.S. in Systems Technology.
小蝌蚪APP淚 took mainly industrial technology classes in undergrad, even though my degree was technically in general studies,小蝌蚪APP he recalls. 小蝌蚪APP淚 love systems, and I would say systems technology is good for any person that has a background in an engineering discipline because it focuses on efficiency and processes. The better you do with those, the better your output and the better your work.小蝌蚪APP
Wisham小蝌蚪APP檚 key to success while completing his master小蝌蚪APP檚 degree online? Engineering a process that worked for him.
Wisham took a task-based approach, completing his assignments as needed during gaps in his existing work and football schedule.
小蝌蚪APP淚 can never really sit down and go, 小蝌蚪APP極K, I小蝌蚪APP檓 going to use this block of three hours to work on this project,小蝌蚪APP櫺◎蝌紸PP he explains. 小蝌蚪APP淚 always like to start a task or assignment the day I get it just to get my thoughts on it, and then come back to finish it as the deadline approaches. If I try to stick to a set time, I don小蝌蚪APP檛 do well because my brain just doesn小蝌蚪APP檛 think that way.小蝌蚪APP
And, conveniently, the online format of the program helped Wisham take that approach with no hiccups.
小蝌蚪APP淚t was nice to have assignments outlined ahead of time instead of having to go sit in a classroom on campus and receive them,小蝌蚪APP he says. 小蝌蚪APP淚 got to have an outlook of what I小蝌蚪APP檇 be working on for the whole semester. When work and life and things came up, it was much less stressful to manage.小蝌蚪APP
Growing After College
Wisham began making the transition from star student to thriving young professional even before he earned his degree.
In February 2022, more than a year before graduating with his M.S. in Systems Technology, he stepped into his first full-time role as a systems engineer. He earned a promotion to program manager six months later.
小蝌蚪APP淭he first company I worked for built boats for the military,小蝌蚪APP he says. 小蝌蚪APP淎ny employer wants you to do a good job. But if you save money and save time while still getting a great outcome, they小蝌蚪APP檒l be happy with it. Understanding things like Lean Six Sigma that focused on efficiency and limits always helped me out because it kept me from wasting company time and resources.小蝌蚪APP
Now, as a Field Advisor for IPT Global, he小蝌蚪APP檚 conducting pressure tests on well control equipment and well barriers offshore to ensure disasters like the Deepwater Horizon oil spill don小蝌蚪APP檛 happen again.
On the side, he小蝌蚪APP檚 helping scale his family小蝌蚪APP檚 construction company, is growing his own tax strategy / preparation company, and is developing a project management consulting group.
小蝌蚪APP淚 try to stay a little busy,小蝌蚪APP he jokes.
His goal is to be a full-time entrepreneur and business owner, taking over his family小蝌蚪APP檚 business and expanding its market to a regional scale.
小蝌蚪APP淥ne thing I also enjoyed about being in systems technology was that I had elective options,小蝌蚪APP he says. 小蝌蚪APP淲ith my elective classes, I did all MBA classes. The combination of having those systems classes that focused on efficiency, while also having business classes that talked about leadership, progress, and employee empowerment will help me a lot throughout my career, especially once I get into a management position. I小蝌蚪APP檒l understand how my actions affect those underneath me and above me.小蝌蚪APP