After serving eight years in the army, Iraq War Veteran Dahlia Watkins was ready to focus on the next phase of his career. Having witnessed the value of computers in the military, he knew information technology was a growing field, and one he wanted to pursue as a civilian.

Dahlia enrolled at Wake Tech while working full-time as a security officer. “It was rough – trying to balance work and school,” he says. He decided taking classes online might be the answer and he was right. Dahlia completed his Associate’s degree in Computer Information Technology first, and then pursued a second one in Networking Technology, including several certifications valued in the industry – all while he continued to work full-time.

Three years later he had a new full-time job – this time in the field of his choice. Even before he completed his second Associate’s degree – a Raleigh software development company offered Dahlia a position as a Tech Support Specialist. “This has been a long time coming,” says Dahlia. “I think my new employer saw the value of my Wake Tech education and was impressed with my certifications and two associate degrees.”