In the spring of 2016, Alejandra Menacho found herself surfing the web for programs that would not only take her career to the next level but also prepare her for the Project Management Professional certification exam. After doing a lot of research, she decided to enroll in the Project Management Certificate program offered at KSU’s College of Continuing and Professional Education. Menacho had a personal connection with KSU. Her brother is a KSU alumnus and her niece, at the time, had also been recently admitted.
“I knew it was the right place to start,” Menacho said.
The instructors and the material were easy for her to understand and proved to be a great resource for the certification exam. “I heard a lot from other people about all the resources they used to pass the exam,” Menacho said. “For me, the class and the materials provided were enough to get me ready. The three-month program gives you time to truly understand all the information instead of it being given to you in five days like most boot camps do.”
The 12-week Project Management Certificate program at the college is led by Francine Warner and Pete Schestopol, two instructors with more than 50 years of combined experience in the field. Warner has over 30 years of experience as an IT Professional with extensive experience in IT project management and software development. She has managed several multi-million-dollar projects for Fortune 500 and Fortune 100 companies over the last 15 years. Warner holds a Project Management Professional (PMP®) Certification from the Project Management Institute. Schestopol is a Project Manager with over 28 years of project management experience. He earned his Project Management Professional (PMP®) Certification from the Project Management Institute in 2001.
Menacho took the exam one month after taking the final for the certificate program.
“I followed Pete and Fran’s recommendation of taking the exam as soon as the class was over,” she said. “After the class was over, I continued studying at least 2 hours every day and took mock exams during the weekends.”
Although she described the certification exam as being long and nerve-racking, Menacho passed the examination and received her Project Management Professional certification. For Menacho, receiving her certification was a “goal accomplished.”
“I felt prepared and confident about the knowledge I had acquired during the last four months,” Menacho said. “[The certification] gave me the confidence and the basis of project management to start building my career.”
With a newly added certification under her belt, Menacho is now PMP® Certified.
“It is the best preparation you can get,” Menacho said.
The next Project Management Certificate program at the college begins on Thursday, May 18. Classes are held weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 to 9 p.m. This program is approved for VA Education benefits. For more information, visit ccpe.kennesaw.edu or call 470-578-6765.
