Omeed Kasim Adham Sindy always knew he wanted to get a master’s degree in business. For him, it was all about timing.

“Many of my colleagues are either getting or have already gotten one,” he said. “But I’m the main source of income for my family, so I had to find a solution where I could continue to work full-time. I also didn’t want too much time to lapse between my undergraduate and graduate degree.”

Sindy looked at online MBA programs and online master’s in management programs and ultimately chose an iMSM from Gies because he could work at his own pace to earn an advanced degree from a top-tier business school in one year. The iMSM is a 36-credit-hour program focusing on management skills so that learners can fluently speak the language of business. From reading a balance sheet to setting up a marketing plan, it is designed to give learners the skills to transition to a leadership position or start a business.

“I love to teach, I love to learn and, ultimately, I want to be a professor and do research about artificial intelligence in an academic setting,” said Sindy, who plans to ultimately earn a doctorate as well. “The MSM gives me the foundation I need along with the ability to connect with my professors and get advice about how to pursue my career path.”

Paying forward what he learns is a big motivator for the first-generation American who came to the US from war-torn Iraq in 1996. He gives back to his alma mater, Mather High School in Chicago, through a scholarship fund he created and now oversees. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Northeastern Illinois University.

Sindy is already applying the leadership concepts he’s learned in the iMSM to his philanthropy and his job as systems administrator at the American Medical Association.

“I’ve learned how to structure a group so that everyone’s ideas get heard,” he said. “I also better understand how to propose an idea or project so that it has the best chance to get approved. Thanks to the leadership course, I now know how to articulate the benefits of technical ideas so that the numbers tell the story, and it’s not about personalities or years of experience.”

Sindy said he appreciates the professionalism and perspectives from his fellow iMSM students and the experiential learning opportunities that are a big component of the program.

“Group projects are so much different and more rewarding than those I was part of as an undergraduate. Everyone’s on time and ready to contribute. My team has a doctor and an automotive industry executive – people from every type of industry. They’re from all over the world and we come together to figure it out,” he said. “I think one of the biggest misconceptions about online programs is that you don’t make connections because you’re not in person. In my experience, it’s the opposite.”

Sindy looks forward to one day creating this kind of learning environment for his own students. “I think it’s only right as an immigrant to reciprocate by sharing your knowledge and resources with the next generation,” he said.