Brian Pecuch: MBA learner, security analyst, and football fan

We all have a vision of what we want out of life and business, but Brian takes that to another level. He knows exactly what he wants and has a master plan for exactly what he needs to do to get there. Currently, he is on his third course of his MBA but is already thinking about what will be next when he does complete the program and have his much-sought-after degree in his hands.

Of course, with anything, if you want to make a success of it, you have to look forward, right? Absolutely! They say that you should not dwell on the past; however, Brian is also quick to reflect on the past to remind himself of just what he has achieved to date. He remembers his Nexford BBA with much fondness and takes the time out to acknowledge the assistance and professionalism of all of the Nexford staff that helped him both start and finish the program. That’s how he rolls. He is one of those rare people who is outward rather than inwardly focused.

“I know that I have a way to go, but I am so looking forward to attending the Nexford US graduation one day, said Brian.” “I wouldn’t say that I have booked my ticket yet, because I just have too much on at the moment, but when I have calmed down to a blur, I am going online to find the best airfares and then celebrate with my peers from around the globe. People that I have spoken to on WhatsApp groups but not met in person.”

Seek, and ye shall find!

Let’s face it, we are all very different people, and everyone has a fairly unique way of researching things that are very important to them and that will affect their daily lives in a positive way. Stating the obvious there!

So when Brian identified a degree as one of the primary ways to climb the corporate ladder, he started doing his research around which university would meet his exacting needs.

On that topic, Brian said, “So, how I came upon Nexford University was that I was doing an extensive Google search. In fact, unlike most people, when doing research on the web, I actually ventured past the first page. In fact, as I can recall, I actually went to pages nine or ten. So I was very keen to find something that was right for me and matched my goals.”

He went on to say that what made Nexford stand out, for one, was its affordability. Secondly, it was the flexibility that allowed him to learn and still hold down a full-time job that was very demanding. 40 hours a week is demanding! So doing a degree in person was a no-go zone.

Of course, because he is an organized person who likes to do his homework, it should come as no surprise that Brian was not initially looking to put all of his eggs in one basket. He applied to and was accepted into three universities in Toronto, Canada. But he still had the nagging feeling that none of them were right for him.

So he reconsidered Nexford. He loved the affordability and being able to approach the professor's and advisors in a far easier and more regular way than the other universities that he had been accepted to. In addition, he would have had to be on campus to attend lectures. With Nexford, he could do all of his learning online.

“And that's why I joined Nexford over those universities, Brian said.” “No on-campus, no expensive text books, and no hassles with travel. Travel was a big one. Because the other universities were upwards of 70 to 100 kilometres away there would be big travel and housing costs. Who wants to do a 200 kilometre round trip just to attend a few lecturers. That would have been madness.”

How to fit learning into a potential 50 hour working week

It’s not easy, but Brian had a master plan when it came to fitting his learning into his busy work schedule. Balancing that at first took some serious head scratching, but he was determined to make it work. It looked daunting at first, but he told us that Nexford stayed true to its promise of allowing learners to study in a flexible way and self-paced.

At Nexford you can work at a slower pace than other universities who heap on the pressure,” Brian tells us. “With them you always feel like the clock is ticking, but at Nexford it’s not like that at all. You can do one assignment per week, or, you can do multiple assignments and finish the whole course in a month. Or you could go slower paced and do the two month method. It’s that simple.”

As we said before, Brian’s time is precious, so at times when he was busier at work, he would do the longer method and just do an assignment per week. Plus, with the flexible learning model offered at Nexford he could fast track everything and possibly finish within an 18-month time frame. Far less time than the four years it would have taken to complete an MBA had he gone to a traditional school in Canada.

Brian said, “With the flexible way of working at Nexford I could mix things up. One day I could work in the morning before work and another day, put the hours in after dinner. There’s no schedule and you don’t have to rush to get to campus. Oh and I also get to consult with fellow learners around the globe. I love it!”

From a BBA to an MBA

Brian did his BBA with Nexford and had an incredible experience doing it. Before he knew it, this degree with a specialisation in artificial intelligence started opening doors for him in the business world.

You see before he started at his security company he was applying for the job of security guard. It was an entry level role, but his employers still wanted him to have some kind of college or university education. They saw on his CV that he had a BBA from Nexford and because they discovered that thanks to the university being online, he was able to still work whilst learning they were very impressed with his work ethic.

But Brian had eyes on a bigger prize. There was an opportunity to get into a bank in the specialized area of automation and this would definitely need a degree in some kind of IT field or even some computer science expertise to land that dream role. His Nexford BBA came to the rescue again.

“TD Bank saw my Nexford BBA and they said, okay, let’s give this guy a chance,” said Brian. “They took me into an in-house position and I have now been at that bank for three years and I am very happy.”

But, as we said before, Brian is never one to sit back and coast. He wants more than that. So he decided to do his MBA at Nexford as he had his sights set on bigger and better things. But he is not just doing an MBA, he is taking an MBA with a specialisation in cybersecurity, because it correlates to what he does at the bank. With that level of skill set that he will get from his MBA, Brian feels like he will be able to land a managerial position in the not too distant future.

I live in Canada but I can’t skate

What? Who lives in Canada but can’t skate? Clearly Brian. Although he was born in Canada to Polish parents, Brian never took to the ice but instead chose football. Well supporting it that is. Today he puts all of his support behind the Polish national football team as they continue to knock on the door of qualifying for the Euros football tournament. He also follows Barcelona as well as there is a high-profile Polish footballer in the team.

Sport aside, Brian told us a bit more about his upbringing in Poland. He told us that he grew up in a Catholic household as an only child and now sadly lives in a single parent household as his father passed away from a heart attack just before the pandemic. He grieved, but then chose to focus all of his energy into getting a degree at an affordable rate as his mum did not have tons of cash to help him fund his higher education.

Currently Brian is 21, is halfway through his Nexford MBA, and continues to self-fund his degree and for that we applaud him. By his own admission, compared to his friends, he is way ahead of the curve. The world is definitely his oyster.

Once he is done with his MBA, Brian might consider one of the new MSc programs at Nexford, but before that happens, he wants to put the brakes on and concentrate on cementing his job at the bank. That said, when pressed on which of the MSc programs he might consider, Brian did hint toward the Master of Science in Entrepreneurship, as he reckons that would definitely put him in a higher income bracket. And he can potentially get that done in two or three years time and have two master’s degrees. Bonus!

Staying put for now

Although Brian has a wandering eye when it comes to new job opportunities be they in Canada or further afield, he does seem to want to remain in Canada for now.

He told us, “So I've been actually jumping around when I started the BBA program in 2020 and over the pandemic. I started that in Poland having dual citizenship, but then decided that my future lies in Canada. My family is here, there are loads of work opportunities, and I love the food too. But I am not ruling out working in Europe one day as I am fluent in Polish.”

A healthy dose of perspiration and inspiration

Throughout the time that I have been doing these learner and graduate interviews I have had varied answers to my question of where they drew their inspiration from.

Some have said great leaders like Nelson Mandela. Others have pointed toward great business people like Steve Jobs, but the recurring theme seems to revolve around family. Brian is no different.

“I’ll say that my mom has really been an inspiration,” Brian told us. “Especially now she's going through a lot with her cancer treatment. She's always provided for me, and often she's had to work more than one job. Right now she's not working, but just seeing her and how’s she’s still able through all of this adversity to still provide for me and bring me up and teach me so many things. She's been really inspirational. And she always brings me joy. And she always motivates me to better myself. I think parents are such a blessing, but I'll say one more thing here as well. I think my manager has always continued to inspire me. She is just a great lady and has three kids of her own. She works hard and inspires me to land a managerial post.”

Seeing is believing. So check out Brian’s video here.