How Antonio Diaz Built Technical Capability on Top of an Established Career
At 30, Antonio Diaz returned to an educational goal he had once put on hold. But he wasn’t starting over. He had already built a career, working his way from insurance sales to his role as a business analyst. Going back to school was an opportunity to build on that experience by expanding his technical capabilities.
As a business analyst, he found himself serving as the connection between stakeholders and technical teams. He looked at those around him and realized that many of his colleagues held bachelor’s degrees.
Working closely with software developers sparked Antonio’s curiosity about the technical work happening behind the scenes. He wanted to do more than just observe what developers were doing. He wanted to better understand how it all worked.
For Antonio, pursing a bachelor’s degree became a way to upskill while continuing to build on the career he had already established.
So, in May of 2023, Antonio enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, Software Development, and Coding at ECPI University. In July 2025, he graduated at 33, adding a degree and greater technical capabilities to his professional experience.
Upskilling Without Starting Over
Going back to school wasn’t an entirely new idea for Antonio, but when he had considered it previously in his early twenties, he didn’t have a clear path he wanted to take.
Then he turned 30.
This time he had years of professional experience and a clearer idea of what he wanted to accomplish. Antonio knew he wanted to pursue a bachelor’s degree, but he also knew that, as a working adult, time mattered.
“I needed something quick. I didn’t want to be in school for four years and already be halfway through my thirties,” Antonio said.
He began looking for an accelerated path that would allow him to gain technical capabilities without stepping away from the career he had already established. His search brought him to ECPI University. Within a few days he visited campus and saw the computers, technology, and simulation labs that helped him picture what going back to school could look like.
From Curiosity to Capability
In the classroom, Antonio received hands-on experience with coding assignments, individual and group projects, and access to training environments like V-Castle to complete system administration, storage management, and partitioning tasks.
“ECPI provided hands-on experience. If you’re just watching tutorials, it’s going in one ear and out the other. An applied education is the way to go,” he said.
The accelerated pace also meant Antonio was continuously building on what he had learned in previous classes. As he finished one course working on Python, the next would introduce C# to expand his understanding of programming languages and coding environments in an intentional, structured direction.
He came to think of programming languages like recipes where the underlying process may be familiar, but each requires its own ingredients. “It’s very similar to baking a cake,” Antonio said. “I would ask: what type of cake are we baking now?”
A Goal Worth the Grind
Having gone back to school as a working adult, Antonio understands the commitment it takes to balance an education around everything else life demands.
“Many people don’t know how much of a grind going to school and working simultaneously is until you get into the rhythm,” he said. For Antonio, finding that rhythm was part of pursuing a goal without putting the career he had already built on hold.
Upskilling while maintaining his career required commitment, but Antonio kept moving toward the goal he had set for himself making earning his degree especially meaningful to him.
“I’m very proud of my journey at ECPI,” he said. “I got a bachelor’s degree and I just turned 33. It feels good to have it after always telling myself that I at least want to have a degree in my lifetime. I’m happy I made that milestone happen.”
Earning his degree gave Antonio greater confidence in the capabilities he brings to his current role and a renewed sense of momentum as he continues to build his future. “Through my role, I’m able to provide for others, and I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish that without my degree,” Antonio said. “ECPI gave me all the skills I needed to give me a sense of purpose.”
About the Author: Sarah Campo
Sarah Campo is the Director of Alumni Engagement at ECPI University. She is passionate about sharing graduate stories, celebrating their achievements, and building meaningful connections that continue beyond graduation.
