Gaining an Edge
“I was looking for a graduate program that could provide me with a solid background in both project management and information technology,” says Asiya Sarbasova ’07 M.I.M. “The M.I.M. program was new, but I trusted the reputation of the University of Maryland.”
Sarbasova came to the iSchool looking for a competitive edge in her career, a decision that has served her well since completing her degree. She secured a position as a business analyst with Washington Gas before she even graduated. Currently, she is a project manager/IT department coordinator with BroadSoft, a leading developer of VOIP communications technologies.
“My coursework taught me a lot of the tools and concepts of project management that I have used in my current job,” she says. “I was able to apply this knowledge immediately even though I didn’t have a lot of direct project management experience.”
For Sarbasova, the strength of the iSchool lies not just in its academics, but its people. “The network of contacts that I made through the iSchool has been invaluable. The program draws students from such diverse backgrounds that I constantly learned new things from my classmates. Also, the faculty drew connections between real-life experience and what we were learning in the classroom.”
Perhaps even more importantly, Sarbasova found a connection to a professional community that she still values today. “The iSchool may be small, but the quality of educational experience that I had was excellent.” she says. “Even now, when I drop by campus, people still remember me and are interested in what I’m doing.”