Rondy Braxton

ASA graduate Rondy Braxton’s success story starts from a place of pain. Mr. Braxton suffered injury to both his patella tendons, which are the tendons that hold the knees together. Continuing in his career as a field steam engineer was no longer a realistic option due to the grueling day-to-day tasks associated with the operation of large machinery. So, in June of 2017, he set his mind to re-careering as a computer technician, and he found ASA College with the help of Ms. Diana Jon in Admissions. The relationship he formed with Ms. Jon, whom he describes as “my guide on the road I walked down in pursuit of my goal,” saw him through his successful years at ASA and brought him back to reflect on his college journey.

“It was the right learning environment for me,” Mr. Braxton says. “Having educators and administrators constantly giving me words of encouragement was that extra tank of gas that got me across the finish line. I made Deans List my last three semesters.”

Currently, Mr. Braxton is applying his tech-focused degree to care for company network devices that are used in hospitals across the North East. He spends his days actively troubleshooting, servicing, network monitoring and calibrating in a region that spans from New Hampshire to Pennsylvania. Though this work requires great mental fitness, it is not as physically demanding as the work of a field steam engineer. Through his ASA education, he was able to reinvent himself – “I chose a career that requires me to use my brain more than my physical strength” – and now he is working towards becoming a Data Security Analyst.

According to Mr. Braxton ASA College prepares students for career growth in unexpected ways. To illustrate his point, he cited one of his Liberal Arts classes. English professor Eileen Ressler gave Mr. Braxton’s class a collective task to write and produce a play, and Ms. Ressler identified him as the leader capable of spearheading the project. This experience continues to resonate with Mr. Braxton, though it had little direct application to his study of networks and computers, because it had great impact on his ability to manage both human dynamics and team workflow. Mr. Braxton says, “we were a diverse group of students from all parts of the globe and it went off very nicely in the end.”

To current and future ASA students he would offer the time-tested advice of setting goals that have measurable timelines. Take a step-by-step approach to accomplishing big things. He says, “Remember that you’re the driver on the road to your destination of success. Always take full responsibility, and the sky will be the limit for you.”

He would also like all present and future students to know the names of the professors that helped him reach his destination: Miss Diana Jon, Professor Paterson, Professor Iqbal, Professor Davy, Professor Wallace, Professor Ressler, Professor Hockaday, Professor Norman, Professor Kilkenny, Professor Garys, Professor K ,Professor Ridley, and Miss Sarmiento. Mr. Braxton said that without a doubt these are people whom a student can depended upon.