South University Bachelor of Science in Information Technology graduate James Boscana is passionate about technology, especially the demanding, rapid pace at which the field moves.
Change, he says, has long been a part of his life. He embraces it. “I grew up always moving around. Altogether, I’ve lived in 2 different states, 6 different cities, and over 20 different homes. I’ve never lived anywhere longer than 3 years,” he says. “That experience has taught me to adapt quickly to my surroundings and given me an understanding that change is inevitable. This helps me a lot in the constantly changing field I’ve chosen.”
Boscana got his first degree, an associate’s in Security Technology, back in 2013, as well as Network+ certification that same year. After working in the field first as an IT Coordinator and then a Desktop Analyst, Boscana became hungry for more and decided to earn his bachelor’s degree at South University, Richmond.
“I selected South University because I knew it would help me reach my goals,” he explains. “I wanted to continue working full time while attending classes in the morning and online. The small class sizes helped me get more one-on-one teaching and dive deep into the subjects that interested me.”
He especially appreciated that South University’s Information Technology undergraduate program allowed him to study several areas of IT—including programming, networking, security, and database administration—so that he could discover what he liked best. “South University prepared me by giving me a diverse set of classes that gave me a great overall feel of what to expect from an IT career,” he says. “These classes made me a better tech and prepared me for the management-focused tasks that take place at tier III in my current position.”
He’s also thankful for his instructors, who pushed him to achieve his full potential and helped him to find direction when he wasn’t sure what his next career move should be.
Today, Boscana enjoys working as a System Support Specialist at Unanet in Richmond, VA, where he is proud to demonstrate the new skills he’s learned and strives to keep improving and growing his skills every day. “IT is a field where you can never fake your way or simply coast through,” he says. “You have to consistently prove what you know by successfully repairing, maintaining, and improving devices and software.”