By July 1999 I was lonely. I was involved in a long distance relationship that failed and just left me dissatisfied. In walks a Ph.D. who I will name the “Herb Lady” because we were both interested in Eastern Philosophy/Religion and Alternative Healing. This too was also a long distance relationship, but I could get in my car in Philadelphia and be in Columbia, MD in two hours. We decided to bring me closer to her and investigated a few universities. UMBC became my choice pick because they went out of their way to a-d-v-i-s-e me. I was advised to speak with the Computer Science, Mathematics, and Information Systems Departments.

Drexel Computer Science was a five year program heavily loaded in Mathematics. The Chairman of Mathematics informed me I was being trained for "Operations" something Drexel NEVER told me. He said I was two courses short of a BS degree in Mathematics at UMBC. He also informed me that I could earn a dual degree in Mathematics and Computer Science if I chose. I spoke with the Computer Science Chairman and found I was one year short of my BS in Computer Science. At Drexel I still had one year of study to earn my Computer Science degree (two years at night), but if I wanted Mathematics also, it would be another two years of study (four years at night). The prospect of a two for one sealed the deal.

Summer of 2000, I took my first programming class at UMBC and quickly learned that I was not properly taught how to program and I was a Junior approaching a Senior. Drexel had only been pushing me through with one purpose in mind, taking my money and getting me out into the workforce to work on the Y2K programming bug. My money and my time was wasted. I had to reduce my ambition to Information Systems which was the right choice because of all my training at Micro Center making me "people-centric." I felt invigorated by my new prospects.