Going for It鶹ýNo Matter What
Alphur "Slim" Willock '19, '23 knows that dedication in the face of obstacles is what it takes to get ahead. After the death of his wife, he took on the responsibility of caring for his six children while working full-time. Slim was able to fit not one, but two, online degree programs into his life鶹ýa BS in Information Systems and now an MS in Information Technology.
There is no doubt that every parent is a superhero. However, it takes a different kind of super skill to accomplish juggling a full-time job, a large family, and full-time education. Alphur 鶹ýSlim鶹ý Willock 鶹ý19, 鶹ý23, is clearly up to the challenge.
Slim鶹ýs worked at Verizon for nearly thirty years and is a proud father of three sons and three daughters, raising them himself after their mom passed away during childbirth. Both full-time jobs. Many people in his position would be intimidated to invest so much鶹ýboth time and money鶹ýinto their education when they already have so much on their plate, but not Slim. Slim was able to make his superhero lifestyle and desire to pursue higher education work for him.
Although his determined attitude would fool you, he admits that being a working parent and a student is anything but easy: 鶹ýAs a father that has kids and is working full-time, Pace鶹ýs online degree programs really worked into my schedule.鶹ý Slim tried in-classroom learning, but the logistics of making it to a classroom was a real challenge. 鶹ýI would be leaving from work and driving to Manhattan to look for parking just to make it to my six o鶹ý clock class,鶹ý he says. It just wasn鶹ýt working as well as it could鶹ýve been. So, he went virtual鶹ýcompleting his BS in Information Systems online through Pace鶹ýs Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems.
After taking the dive into online learning, he realized that online learning is not so very different from going back to school in-person. He was able to make connections with his peers and his professors, and also discovered that online learning made it easier for him to balance his commitments.
鶹ýThere were a lot of different stressors that were added on to the fact that I鶹ým working full-time, and I still have to go home and cook dinner. Online school helped tremendously for me,鶹ý he says. 鶹ýI could concentrate on my family and at the same time I could still concentrate on my schoolwork.鶹ý
One thing that鶹ýs important to Slim is to make sure that others understand that an online degree program isn鶹ýt any different in terms of value compared to an in-person program. It鶹ýs the same curriculum, the same professors, and the same work required to earn the degree. 鶹ýOnline school scared me because I thought it wasn鶹ýt the same degree, and you get a certificate that says 鶹ýonline,鶹ý鶹ý he laughs. 鶹ýBut that isn鶹ýt true! People hear so many different things about online school and it scares them.鶹ý
By the time the COVID-19 pandemic turned the world upside down, Slim was already an old pro at virtual living and learning. So, it made sense for him to return to the virtual classroom to tackle his next big challenge: a master鶹ýs degree. And so far, so good. He鶹ýs made a lot of great connections in the classroom, is building relationships with faculty, and making friends.
鶹ýSome of my classmates are my best friends鶹ýI haven鶹ýt 鶹ýmet鶹ý them yet, but we鶹ýre really good friends," he says.
Slim鶹ýs persistence and tenacity is not only inspired by his own children, but by the former Verizon chairman and CEO Ivan G. Seidenberg 鶹ý81, for whom the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems is named. Slim explains that Seidenberg is 鶹ýan inspiration who set the blueprint for a role model by donating to create a program at the school he graduated from.鶹ý
Slim serves as an inspiration to his friends and family (and ! Yes, that Oprah), often encouraging others to follow the same path. In talking about his experience, he laughs and says 鶹ýA lot of people, after I told them I got my degree, would say 鶹ýSlim, if you can do it, with your situation and with kids, I should have no excuses!鶹ý鶹ý