Tenaciously Beating the Odds
From drugs and homelessness to succeeding at BYU In the accounting program. Hear from one grateful student.
An Unheeded Warning That Led to a New Passion
February 2019
Julianne Francisco is grateful she ignored advice to avoid ruining her GPA by taking her information systems course too early. Upon setting foot in the class, she quickly discovered she’d found her professional passion.
“I had an amazing professor, and I really liked it,” she says. “I ended up applying for the master’s degree program as well, and I got in.”
The summer after completing her undergraduate degree, Francisco interned with Nissan, helping the company make a long-term shift to improving the way the company interacts online with its dealers. And while she was on her internship, she learned she’d received a scholarship for her year back at BYU in the master of information systems (MISM) program.
“My scholarship made a difference in the way I worked; I was able to relax and enjoy the internship a little more,” she says. “They told me before I left that I was going to receive a job offer.”
Sure enough, after completing the MISM program, Francisco accepted a position as a full-time project manager back at Nissan. But she may not be there forever. She’s considering pursuing a PhD so she can help others discover their own passion in information systems.
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