Challenge isn’t something David Klickman shys away from. He served tours in the Middle East with the U.S. Army in 2014 and 2015. 

When he came back home, he returned to his job in account management and operations, but it wasn’t fulfilling. 

“I wasn’t happy doing this work anymore. It became too repetitive, and I didn’t have the chance to be creative,” says Klickman. 

He set his eyes on a future in IT, but being 52 miles from the nearest college campus and having a family to raise made it difficult to find a way to get there. 

“I didn’t have time to go back to school full time,” says Klickman. “I needed something that worked around my life.” 

Klickman discovered ACC’s online Accelerated Programmer Training (APT) Program.

“It seemed like a perfect fit. I could work when I needed to work, be home for my family, and set aside time to study.”

Klickman found himself in a juggling act with a wife, children, and serving as a company commander for more than 200 soldiers. 

“To be honest, those three semesters were a blur, with my personal life, hands-on training, programming, and learning the framework of this new career,” says Klickman. “Taking almost all of my classes online, I was able to develop the self-sufficient skills needed for a degree like this. Anytime I felt like I was struggling, the instructors were always available to answer questions or to help give me an extra push. If I needed to talk in-person, they set up remote video sessions. It gave me the support I needed,” says Klickman. 

During his final semester, Klickman was selected to take part in an internship. 

“Being one of the students picked was validation for all the hard work. It also helped me move forward,” says Klickman. 

The internship landed him a full-time position right after he graduated.

Klickman now works at a global cloud-based video surveillance company. 

“I love what I do, and I’m excited every day I get to go to work. It challenges me to think creatively, and makes the time fly by.”

ACC’s APT Program is one of 17 degrees and certifications available completely online. 

For more information about online programs, visit austincc.edu/online.