Clocking in: how 7 hours a week changed Jesus' life
Published May 23, 2022
Seven hours a week. Give or take that was the commitment. For Jesus Sanchez, those seven hours were non-negotiable, no matter what else was going on his life.
“Developing the discipline to find that time to study every week was crucial to my success in the program,” Jesus said.
Jesus found that success at The University of Phoenix through the Learning Together Program (LTP), Boeing’s tuition assistance benefit that can be applied toward any number of certificates and degrees, at more than 300 colleges and universities.
For Jesus, a power machine operator for Boeing Commercial Airplanes in Auburn, Wash., LTP was the springboard to obtaining an associate degree in business, something he had always wanted to do, but lacked the time and money to pursue.
“I’m so happy about getting my degree,” Jesus said. “It’s a great accomplishment that makes me feel better about myself, especially since for so long I didn’t think it was possible.”
“You have opportunities here at Boeing you just don’t get elsewhere,” Jesus said. “The Learning Together Program is an amazing resource...”
Jesus admits it wasn’t always easy getting to buckle down and study. He had to juggle those seven hours a week of study with demands at home (a wife who also works at Boeing and three grown kids) and full-time work. He had to build up study habit muscles he hadn’t used since high school, but Jesus developed a system to make sure he would get his coursework done.
“I would study one hour a day four days a week, and three hours on the weekend,” said Jesus. “Once I developed that discipline, I was not only successful in school, but I also learned to organize my time better at home and work.”
Jesus earned almost straight As in his program, and became just the second of his six siblings to obtain a degree. Prior to Boeing, Jesus worked for other manufacturing companies and says their benefits—especially those for education reimbursement —fell far short of Boeing’s offerings.
“You have opportunities here at Boeing you just don’t get elsewhere,” Jesus said. “LTP is an amazing resource and the course load is realistic for full-time workers balancing different demands.”
While Jesus is proud of his accomplishments, he’s not done yet. He plans to pursue his bachelor’s degree in business, with an eye toward becoming a Boeing manager. Jesus says those seven hours a week of studying were crucial to changing his life.
“I can’t put into words how valuable going back to school was for me,” Jesus said. “If I can do it, anyone can.”
About the Learning Together Program
Boeing’s industry-leading Learning Together Program provides tuition assistance for teammates around the world.
Eligible tuition and expenses for select STEM degrees and certificate courses are fully funded. And generous allowances are available for many other degree and non-degree programs, including up to $7,500 per year for associate degrees, $15,000 per year for bachelor degrees and $25,000 per year for graduate degrees.
Best of all, we’ll pay your institution directly, so you don’t have to pay out of pocket.
See more of the ways we invest in our employees’ learning and development to help them have a great career.
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