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 Monica Tyson ’86 M.B.A. has given consistently to the Florida Tech Fund for nearly a decade, keeping in touch with the university while pursuing a career in Australia. Donor Relations Manager Melinda Millsap asked Tyson to share her thoughts about Florida Tech and charitable giving with Florida Tech TODAY readers.
The education I received (both bachelor’s and M.B.A.) has served me well over the course of my career, and I believe the support I provide helps with the education of the next generation.
I received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) with a major in computer and information science (CIS) from the University of Florida. My first job out of school was at Harris Corp. I was interested in earning my M.B.A., as my focus has always been in working on the applied side of information technology … that is, utilizing technology to accomplish business goals. I obtained my M.B.A. from Florida Tech while working full time, and without this flexibility, I would not have been able to achieve this. The M.B.A. helped me further my knowledge of business. Though I did not rely on having a master’s degree to get my first job, having the degree, combined with my work experience, was certainly a factor in all other positions I have obtained over my career. An M.B.A. degree is recognized worldwide as a level of accomplishment in business education.
I really enjoyed the way the M.B.A. program used a combination of full-time professors and adjunct professors from the community. I remember taking a project management class from a NASA project manager—talk about bringing practical experience to the classroom.
I initially moved to Australia just over three years ago for personal reasons. When I first arrived, I worked as a specialist consultant in Data Warehousing and Enterprise Reporting and my client was the Australian Taxation Office. After two years of dedicated work at the Tax Office, I was ready for a change, as I felt I had successfully transitioned (both personally and professionally) to living in Australia. I began to look for opportunities and was introduced to the two owners of Dialog Information Technology, a privately held consulting group. The timing was right to start up a specialty subsidiary company (Formation Data) to focus on the data management niche within IT.
I am a believer in education because of the strong base my education gave me to not only start but sustain my career. I would like to challenge those who have graduated to continue to give back. Also, the world is a small place. If you can travel, see other parts of the world. Obviously the Internet has made the world reachable to everyone. Florida Tech has always had a strong international focus—take advantage of it!
Melinda Millsap
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