Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of profiles of Spring 2024 graduates.
John Henry Nguyen was only one year into his master’s program in software engineering at University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) when he landed his dream job in Silicon Valley.
It changed the trajectory of his life. And Nguyen credits UMGC.
“UMGC’s program has allowed me to break into the tech industry quickly,” he said. “I was able to land interviews and demonstrate to the recruiters that I was a strong candidate for the position they are looking to fill. I managed to speak the lingo and handle technical questions as if I were a seasoned professional, which in the end helped me land my role in product management.”
Nguyen always wanted to be an engineer, even as a child. Before he enrolled at UMGC, he was a commissioned officer in the Army Corps of Engineers, where he served 10 years in various assignments, including as company commander of a group of elite combat engineers called Sappers.
Injuries Nguyen sustained during deployments to Kuwait, Afghanistan, Jordan and Syria eventually led to his medical retirement. But he said the overseas assignments, while “not the best times,” provided experiences that had a positive impact on my life. He said he also met some great people through the military. And it was where he first heard about UMGC.
“I remember meeting a lieutenant in Afghanistan who was pursuing his master's in project management at UMGC. He said the program is going to set him up with a great career when he returns back to the civilian world,” Nguyen said. That testimonial stuck with him for a few years, and then when COVID-19 struck, he decided to take the leap and enroll in 2021.
He was pleased to see how well structured the UMGC courses were. Even without prior coding experience, he found the material straightforward. Soon he was building functional software applications and websites from scratch.
One professor, Sheldon Linker, was among the most influential of his instructors.
“He genuinely cares for his students and wants them to succeed in his course,” Nguyen said. “Dr. Linker reached out to schedule a one-on-one call with me after I mentioned I was having a hard time understanding the assignment. He not only helped me understand the task but also gave me great career advice.
“Dr. Linker is one of the great professors who I believe all students should get to know,” Nguyen added. “He has over 40 years of experience as a programmer. He knows the industry very well.”
UMGC’s program not only stepped up Nguyen’s ability to lead a team of software engineers, but it also allowed him to progress into more senior roles. He is now on track to becoming a senior product manager at his company.
“My education at UMGC has helped me get to exactly where I wanted to be in my career.,” he said. “The guidance and support from both the professors and success coaches have been absolutely essential to my success at UMGC, and I appreciate them.”
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