Adrian Mascote

By the time Adrian Mascote returned to NIU in 2014 he already had a healthy taste of the real world.

He and his wife Jessica built a life for themselves and their three daughters, all younger than 5. Adrian was working full-time at a warehouse in DeKalb. As he puts it, he was busy on all fronts.

But he realized something important. Career opportunities were passing him by. After a summer of reflection, he concluded his family was healthy and they were financially stable.

He had no more excuses. It was time to return to the campus he left in 2010 after the birth of his first child.

He dove right in, enrolling in 15 credit hours in the fall term, focusing on business classes. And, he kept his full time job.

Even his academic advisors were skeptical. Are you sure you want to do this? They asked. He said, “I’m focused and I’ll do anything to get this done.”

When he felt overwhelmed he’d tell himself I’m not the first person to do this. I’m not the only person to do this. I’m not the last person to do this. That reminder– plus a burning desire to get his family ahead — kept him going.

Adrian became a class leader. He and his fellow students in Professor Mahesh Subramony’s consulting class worked with Caterpillar to develop an executive on-boarding program. Part of that program is being used by Caterpillar today.

After three semesters, all while working full time, Mascote is ready to on-board his own career. With his Bachelor’s degree in Management, and an emphasis on human resource management, career opportunities are not likely to pass him by this time.