How Jason Greenwood Closed the Credential Gap, Opened New Possibilities

Jason Greenwood ’21 said he had a successful career in information technology, even without a degree, but “that gap in my foundation always bothered me.” Every time he’d go for a new position or promotion he said he wondered, “Will this be the time my lack of degree holds me back?”

Deciding on a Data Degree

He knew he needed to get his degree, he said, and rather than focusing on computer science, he thought a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Data Analytics would be much more targeted to where he wanted to go with his career.

“I already knew computer science,” Greenwood said. “I wanted to learn something new and exciting.”

And he decided to pursue that degree at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). He said he chose SNHU for its accreditation, noting, “I wanted my degree to be respected in the industry — and SNHU does that.”

Greenwood said his degree absolutely holds its own against any of the degrees his colleagues have, and what he learned along the way was beneficial to his career goals.

As his work evolved over time, data played a bigger role — particularly the movement and storage of it. While data has always been of interest to him, Greenwood said, “The chance to learn about the analysis of data felt like ‘completing the journey’ for me … to be able to ‘do all the things’ makes me so much more valuable to an organization as a data professional.”

Studying Online as a Transfer Student

He took to studying online in a big way, referring to it as “amazing.” For Greenwood, “being able to work at my own pace, in my own way, made it all possible. There were some late nights, and some busy weekends, but I was able to do it all while working full time.”

He was able to transfer 36 credits in from his previous higher ed experience decades before. “I was really happy that as many credits transferred as they did,” Greenwood said, “as it helped decrease what I needed to take from a course perspective.”

When he initially began at SNHU, he said he kept to a lighter academic schedule and even took a year completely off before returning to complete his bachelor’s. “To me, this really shows the power and flexibility of SNHU’s online curriculum as it really empowers students to learn on our schedule, even if that schedule really flexes at times,” Greenwood said. “SNHU was always willing to work with me on when I could take classes.”

Real World Applications

As for the BS in Data Analytics program, he said it exceeded his expectations to a surprising degree.

“Not only was what I learned immediately valuable to my current role, the ancillary sociology and interdepartmental studies really gave me a new viewpoint on topics like privacy and how data analysis can impact a society,” Greenwood said. “At my age, I thought I was as well-rounded as I would ever be, but the curriculum really gave me insights that I would never have been exposed to without being part of the program.”

Those courses also gave him new perspective, he said, outside of the data and statistics realm. “Looking at how data analytics impacts people, and society at large, made me think about how I was going to use these tools in the future,” he said, “and ensured I would deeply consider the impact my work might have.”

Greenwood said that given the hands-on nature of his data work, he uses a lot of the statistics knowledge he’s gained almost daily. “Surprisingly, though, in addition to the technical skills, I find myself using the sociological and research skills I’ve gained almost as much, and more broadly in my life,” he said.

Working With Instructors

Speaking to his experience with his course instructors, he said, “The instructors at SNHU have been wonderful. They very much understand that their online students come from a very diverse set of backgrounds, and whose life experience and current situations are widely varied.”

He also noted the diversity of backgrounds the instructors offered as well as the wealth of knowledge and hands-on experience they brought to the classroom. “Which meant that their feedback was both relevant and valuable,” he said.

So, Was It Worth It? 

While SNHU cannot guarantee a degree will lead to career advancement, Greenwood was able to couple his professional experience to the new skills and knowledge he acquired to obtain a new role at work. He said he was now able to add analytics to his position, along with the other offerings provided to business partners. “The ability to show skills and hit the ground running with what I was learning at SNHU had a huge impact,” he said.

When asked if he felt like his degree program was worth it, Greenwood said, “I honestly feel that my degree was worth it, and a fantastic value for the money spent. The price per course is very reasonable. The course curriculum is very up to date.”

Pamme Boutselis ’15, ’17G is an award-winning writer and content producer, currently serving as a senior director of content and a communication adjunct at Southern New Hampshire University. She loves hearing and sharing stories. As a writer spanning a 25-year career, her work has been featured in print and online via news media, career and education-focused blogs, regional magazines, technology publications and more.

A bachelor’s and master’s in communication — earned as an adult learner — positively impacted her life and career, melding decades in diverse industries with professional and academic knowledge and experience. A serial volunteer, Boutselis has been a TEDx organizer since 2013 and a speaker coach. She’s been fortunate to work with dozens of nonprofits throughout the years. Connect with her on LinkedIn.