Tech CEO Who Started at Community College Urges Gen Z too Prioritize Pragmatism Over Prestige
ORLANDO,FL – Inโ an era defined by soaringโ student loan debt – currently totaling $1.65 trillionโข – a prominent tech executive is advising Genโข Z to reconsider the conventionalโ path to career success.Tomasso, a 55-year-old CEO โขwho began his higher education journey at a communityโ college, argues that prestige isn’t paramount and encourages young professionals to โprioritize resourcefulness and aโค willingness to learn.
Tomassoโข reflects on his own experience โat theโฃ University of Central Florida (UCF), stating, “I had a blast at โขUCF, and lookingโข back now,โ I wish I wouldโ have been able to go there for โขfour years, but it just wasn’t โin the cards for me, and it wasn’tโ a reality. So,I got there in probably the best way I โฃcould.”โฃ His story โunderscores a growing trend of students opting for alternative, often more affordable, โroutes โto a degree.
The CEO emphasizes the importance of character overโ credentials. “Don’t letโฃ ego get inโฃ the way,” Tomassoโฃ said. “I look at folks beyondโฃ their resume โand say โฃdo they have that-theโ fortitude toโ do whatever itโฃ takes, basically, to put themselves in a position to be successful?” He illustrates this point with a personal anecdote: while a student, he tookโข a job at a department store solely to โafford a suit forโค an internship withโ the orlando Magic,โค demonstrating a proactive, “get-it-done”โฃ mentality he now seeks โin employees.
Tomasso’s advice to young professionals is simple: be proactive. “Make sure people know โyou want to learn more,” he urges. “Don’t read your โขjob โขdescription. Do what’s expected โof you-and then some. Doโ something โelse, like โคask, whatโ more can Iโ do?โข Ask, even if it’sโ outside your area.”
His perspectiveโ aligns with โฃa national shift in higher education โenrollment. Community colleges are experiencing a resurgence in popularity, currentlyโ enrolling over a quarter of all students nationwide. โคPreliminaryโ data from the National Studentโ Clearinghouse reveals โa 4% increase in community college โคenrollment โthis year,โค significantlyโ outpacing the 1.9%โค growth at public โขfour-yearโ institutions and 0.9% at private nonprofits.
Financial considerations are โa key driver of this trend, with over 30 โขstates now offering tuition-free programsโค for eligible residents. Tomasso frames โขcommunity college not as a compromise, but as โ”a hack to get that kind of degree for basicallyโข half the price.”
