Aurora Resident Earns Master’s Degree from WGU

Victor Sakya Dhakhwa, a resident of Aurora, has graduated with a Master of Business Administration in Information Technology Management from Western Governors University (WGU.) He traveled to Dallas to participate in the nonprofit, fully online university’s commencement ceremony, which was held Feb. 22 and celebrated the achievements of 13,000 graduates.

Dhakhwa completed his master’s degree just six months after he earned his Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance from WGU. His journey to earning both degrees began in 2008 when he entered the United States as an international student. He faced many challenges and obstacles along the way, forcing him to drop out of college and work in convenience and retail stores to pay bills and make ends meet.

After getting married in 2011, Dhakhwa was still struggling financially when he decided to transform his life. He started an entry level job at an IT company, but after two years of serving in the position, he found there were no opportunities for growth with his current skillset. Looking for a way to make himself more marketable in the IT industry, Dhakwa enrolled at WGU in 2017 and completed his undergraduate degree in just 18 months.

“I planned to complete the degree in four years but later realized that I would be done in 18 months,” Dhakhwa said. “This was not magic…this was the supportive environment created by my mentors, my fellow WGU night owls who were constantly motivating each other and my family who stood with me throughout this journey.”

It was after earning his bachelor’s degree that Dhakhwa chose to keep going and enrolled in the MBA Information Technology Management program at WGU. When he was close to completing his MBA, Dhakwa lost his father, who has always been the source of inspiration in his life. Even though he was broken and thought about taking a break from school, he decided to push forward and earn his degree, as he knew that’s what his father would want him to do.

“WGU has taught me that through failure, struggle, hard work, dedication and consistency, all our dreams are within reach, and we must courageously reach for them.” Dhakhwa said. “Today I am happy with my job, earn a good living, and the future looks very bright.”

WGU offers more than 60 programs in IT, business, teacher education and health professions, including nursing. All programs are competency-based—a learning model that focuses on measuring learning rather than time spent in class. This model, along with online access to courses, study materials, and proctored assessments, means students are able to complete coursework on schedules that fit their lives—not driven by a syllabus or class schedules. For more information, visit wgu.edu.

About WGU
Established in 1997 by 19 U.S. governors with a mission to expand access to high-quality, affordable higher education, online, nonprofit WGU now serves more than 121,000 students nationwide and has more than 166,000 graduates in all 50 states. Driving innovation as the nation’s leading competency- based university, WGU has been recognized by the White House, state leaders, employers, and students as a model that works in postsecondary education. In just 22 years, the university has become a leading influence in changing the lives of individuals and families, and preparing the workforce needed in today’s rapidly evolving economy. WGU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and universities, has been named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, and was featured on NPR, NBC Nightly News, CNN, and in The New York Times. Learn more at www.wgu.edu.

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