This is part of #EberlyAmazingStudents, a series from the IUP Eberly College of Business and Information Technology that focuses on students who are involved in a variety of extra-curricular activities.
Timothy Gitonga is an MBA student and in his first year at IUP in the Eberly College of Business and Information Technology.
Timothy was born and raised in Kenya in a small city called Meru. He later moved to Nairobi city to undertake his undergraduate degree. He successfully completed his bachelor of commerce degree in Kenya and majored in finance. He is happy to have found about IUP through a referral from an alumnus who attended the Eberly College of Business about 10 years ago. The alumnus, who is currently doing very well in corporate America as a consultant in the business and IT industry, told him about his great experience at IUP.
Eberly's reputation and its high ranking as a business school played a major role in Timothy's decision to enroll at IUP. He says another factor that influenced him to join IUP is that IUP has produced successful alumni, including Chad Hurley, the co-founder of YouTube. Tim appreciated IUP being in a rural setting within a friendly community and away from major cities, which he considers to be a good thing for class concentration.
When discussing his experiences at Eberly, Timothy expressed his satisfaction. "I have gotten a chance to study using the modern technology offered by the IUP business school, including learning how to utilize Bloomberg terminals and associated software. I have also gotten a chance to study and interact with classmates from different cultures and different parts of the world, and this has made me appreciate diversity more. The professors at Eberly are very willing to help students."
Timothy joined the MBA Graduate Business Student Association club in his first semester in fall 2019 and joined the Finance Organization in his second semester. Timothy appreciates his membership with these clubs because he is not only able to mingle with students in the same niche, but also gets to learn a lot from the activities in preparation for his future career once he graduates. The student organization involvement helps to bring together students and professors.
Tim loves long distance running, especially around the IUP community. He says, "Running keeps my body healthy and alert in class." Timothy holds down two jobs on top of being a student. He is a graduate assistant and a student employee at the Eberly Dean's office. He credits his work as a way of getting experience required in the business world, and he appreciates the chance given to him to assist professors in research and office duties while earning extra money.
Tim would like to use his skills and knowledge to work in the Fortune 500 MNCs and eventually start his own business firm providing information technology consulting services.
Timothy's favorite saying is, "Honesty and hard work eventually rewards. Everything is doable by the Grace of God and commitment."
About #EberlyAmazingStudents
The #EberlyAmazingStudents series features students who are involved in a variety of extra-curricular activities. Associate Dean Cyndy Strittmatter is overseeing the project. "We are proud of our students who balance their academics with extracurricular activities and recognize the commitment that it takes to excel at all levels. We look forward to sharing their accomplishments with the IUP community and beyond!"