Promoting Dedication

Time flies when you’re having fun. It also flies when you’re balancing work, school and promotions as Brian Germann found out during his time at Bryant & Stratton College Online.

Germann has been working at DuPont’s Tonawanda, NY plant for over 20 years and took his first step towards advancing his career by pursuing an associate’s degree in IT-Networking. He completed that degree at Bryant & Stratton’s Southtowns campus in 2006 and almost immediately began to see the fruits of his labor.

It took less than two years for Germann to be promoted and even after seeing his first degree pay off his supervisors were recommending that he earn another degree. They recommended he consider a path in the business field, this time. Taking the time to carefully research the school he would choose for his bachelor’s degree, Germann considered a number of private schools in the Buffalo area before deciding that online education was the path he wished to follow.

“I liked the flexibility of being able to do my schoolwork on my own time,” Germann said.

After choosing to return to his alma mater as an online student, Germann received yet another promotion as he was working through his bachelor’s degree in General Management with a specialization in Project Management. He received his third promotion just last year and he officially graduated with his bachelor’s degree in April of 2014.

“I knew going back to school and getting a degree would open doors for me. And it did,” Germann said. “I was promoted immediately.”

With over 20 years of work experience already under his belt along with the strength of one Bryant & Stratton College degree on his resume, Germann was the elder statesman, of sorts, in his classes. In addition to receiving a great deal of feedback from his peers in many classes, Germann was also asked to write letters of recommendation for a few classmates. Noting his appreciation to his classmates, Germann also pointed out that the online setting allowed for so many connections that may have otherwise been overlooked in other settings.

“You don’t know [the other students] personally,” he said. “But if you’re a shy person it may actually be better for you.”

Coupled with the schedule that appealed to his work schedule, Germann remains quick to recommend Bryant & Stratton College to friends and acquaintances alike. He referred a co-worker to an online program recently as he is vocal about the success he experienced as a student here.

“I had gotten as far as I could without a degree,” Germann said. “I wasn’t looking to go to another company. I would highly recommend online education.”

Germann credits perseverance and time management for making him such a successful student in an online setting. He added that staying disciplined and managing your time is the best way to succeed. Due to his track record and strong educational background, Germann has made himself an invaluable part of the organizational structure at DuPont. He has the skills and education to continue growing and it’s likely just a matter of time until he is sharing news of another impressive promotion.