Full-time father and CIS major, Ryan Applegate, will begin his full-time role as a Business Analyst at JPL in January
Full-time father and Computer Information Systems major, Ryan Applegate, is set to graduate this December and begin his full-time position as a Business Analyst at JPL in January.
Ryan joined the CBE in Fall 2018 and has had numerous professors who etched an indelible mark on his education and overall knowledge along the way. “Professor Balan has helped me in numerous ways, simply by allowing me to pick her brain about healthcare analytics and business intelligence. She may not be aware, but she has helped me out in a number of ways during my time at the CBE.”
While he was unable to participate in student organizations juggling two children and work, meeting other students has truly made the CBE experience a memorable one for Ryan. “Everyone has a different background perspective, and way of doing things. It is honestly incredible how much you can learn/gain from talking to peers.”
In fact, he strongly urges his fellow peers and incoming students to, “Try to take time out of every day to reflect on your overall situation. It can be 2 minutes, or it can be an hour, ensure you allow yourself to self-reflect and make sure you are heading down the path you want to follow. Remember, you can always make adjustments. The key is taking the time to step back and look at the broader picture.”
Highlights from Ryan's life include competing nationally in Judo for roughly 10 years and meeting the Lakers when he was nine years old at a Lakers Championship parade in the early 2000s. Today’s broader picture includes practicing his drawing skills with his oldest daughter and reading Ray Bradbury novels. If he could be any character, he would be Marty McFly from Back to the Future. “I love history and having the ability to travel back in time or forward into the future would be amazing.”