Lars Apitz recently retired from the German Navy. CSI is a way for him to explore career options for the next stage in his life.
Most students at Computer Systems International are in their twenties. Lars Apitz has children who are the same age and older than many of his classmates. After serving 37 years in the German Navy, he wanted to try his hand at a civilian career, “In Germany, a second career isn’t much of an option because you make a good living with your retirement benefits,” he says. “I thought, why not do something for myself and invest in my education?”
Lars and his family came to the US in 2019 on a military deployment. His last tour was in Newport, Rhode Island. Lars and his wife have three kids who have spent most of their lives in America and they wanted to find a way to stay here after he retired, “We like it here, so we decided to keep it going,” he says. One of the things that has impressed them was the quality of the education that their kids are getting, “We are very happy with the schools and the education for our children.”
Putting Family First
Lars is a part of a hybrid program at CSI. He attends class in person at the Worcester campus in Massachusetts once a week. On Wednesdays, he logs onto Zoom for class from home. The rest of the week he is able to do the work at his own pace, “I really like the hybrid model of having one day online and one day in person, which for me is Monday. I really like the self-study part and the ability to study online.”
Being a dad is a big part of Lars’ life. Between him and his wife there are a total of eight children, ranging in age from 9 to 30. Four of them are in the US, including one adult daughter and three more aged 9, 13, and 14. Their other four children are adults who live overseas.
One thing that was important to Lars when he was considering pursuing his own education was making sure that he would be able to balance his life at home with his school work. He knows that his classes are important, but his family always comes first, “Today, I will be 10 minutes late, but what do you do? If your daughter tells you 5 minutes before you have to go, that she is having trouble with her math homework, should I just go or not?” he says. The choice is easy for him, “I have to take the time with her. And that’s the stretch with family and doing this.”
Lars is about two months into his program at CSI and says that it’s a challenge, but he is making it work, “It’s a good education and it’s not easy, but you can do it. I have the everyday obligations with my children, but it’s manageable.”
Finding a way to make everything work has been a matter of finding a schedule that works, “I just get it done. I know I have to be in class on Monday and Wednesday,” he says. “But it’s up to me when I do the online assignments.” The flexibility that the hybrid program offers has been a big benefit, “To be honest, I do it when the kids are in bed.”
Making Sure the Career will Fit
Lars is focusing his studies in the Business Certificate Program and is focusing on marketing.
He has been going to class for just a few months, but is excited about what the future holds, “I really want to do the apprenticeship in my 2nd year,” he says, referring to the CPT and OPT options available through CSI. “I’ve already used my network and am talking to some people I know. It is looking very good and I think I will find something.”
Even though Lars is enjoying his studies, he likes that CPT and OPT will allow him to test out the marketing field to see if it will work out for him, “I’ve been in the navy for 37 years. Work in the civilian sector is something different. It will give me a chance to see if I really want to do it and what I am good at.”
Lars likes the idea of trying on a career before jumping right in. CSI costs a fraction of most programs so he feels like it is fairly low risk, “You don’t have to sign up for something and pay 40 or 50 thousand dollars per year without knowing that’s what you want to do in the future. Here, I’m getting a very good idea of how marketing works. When I’m allowed to work in my second year, I can find out if it’s something I really want to do.”
Lars is not the only person in his family who is hoping that CSI can be a career stepping stone. His daughter is starting a hybrid program soon because she felt it was a better investment than a traditional school, “I see it with my daughter’s friends. They are in very expensive colleges,” he says. Lars and his daughter both think that CSI makes sense, “You get the impression of whether you really like it and you have the chance to work in the environment. After 2 years if you don’t, you’ve gotten plenty of benefits for all of this for less money.”
Many More Benefits
The affordable education and hands-on career training are just the tip of the iceberg for Lars. He enjoys learning from his teachers and his classmates, even though he is older than most of them, “I’m used to being with young people. There is one student who is about my age. And there are a couple more that are close to my age. Most of them are in their 20s. It’s not a problem,” he says.
He enjoys the education he gets interacting with fellow students, “In the Navy, I worked with the younger generation, and I see it works here. They might be better with a technique or some technology. I can help them be more organized or teach them to be able to do a presentation. We can learn from each other.”
When asked about the best part of CSI, Lars didn’t hesitate, “The flexibility. You don’t have to be in class every day from 8:00 to 3:00. You can work from home, do the Zoom,” he says.
The staff at CSI has also been great, “Since I’ve been at the school, I really appreciate how supportive everyone is. And also that you are with people who know your situation. They know your education, but that you also need to be there for your family,” he says. Lars truly appreciates that CSI is like an extension of his family, “I like how friendly and supportive the people are. That is something I didn’t expect and I don’t take it for granted. So we get a good education and we have people who really care and are willing to help.”
If you are ready for career training at a fraction of the cost, CSI can help! With a variety of programs across many industries, there is something for you. Contact us today to get started!
