Meet AIU Students and Alumni
Meet Robin Toussaint
Bachelor of Information Technology
Master of Business Administration
Perseverance Pays Off
Being the youngest of seven in a family living below the poverty level is a daunting challenge to have to overcome. Robin Toussaint did it, though, and even credits his difficult circumstances with being one the best things to have happened to him. “Coming from the background I do was the best gift ever given to me. It gave me the desire to want more for myself.”
Robin earned an Associate’s degree and had his Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology from AIU South Florida by the age of 20. The entire time he was at AIU getting his Bachelor’s degree, Robin was working more than full-time (he held seven jobs in various combinations), had no car and no monetary support from his family, and was living on his own. “Times were certainly rough.”
Robin’s daily routine consisted of getting up at 5 a.m. to catch the bus and get to work by 8 a.m.. He worked until 4 then would catch the bus back to Pembroke Pines to meet his ride to classes at AIU. He would return home around 11:30 at night. “These hardships I endured did not matter to me, though, because I knew that the experience I was getting at work, coupled with the degree from AIU would only benefit me in the future.”
Robin was right. Two months after finishing his BIT, he was offered a position as a Data Analyst for the Miami Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Agency. Getting a security clearance took nine months. By the time he was ready to start at the DEA, he was also ready to start his MBA, again at American InterContinental University. Doubling up on classes, he graduated in less than one year.
Proving yet again that his persevering through difficulties to get a degree was worth it, Robin was able to get an even better job at the DEA after earning his MBA. Because of his educational background, his previous work experience in the IT field (he held some IT jobs during his undergraduate days), and the fact he had already gotten a DEA security clearance, he wasn’t even interviewed for the position of Network Administrator in the DEA’s San Francisco Field Division. “Two weeks after sending my résumé in, I had an offer letter for the Network Administrator position.” Robin had just turned 22.
Now 23, Robin sees his future as wide open. “Getting both my MBA and BIT at AIU played a huge role in my success. In my experience, once you get your degrees, the doors just fly open.”
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