Adult learners appreciate the flexibility of an asynchronous education at Johnson & Wales University (JWU) Online because it allows them to work full-time while earning a degree. However, working professionals may question whether they can manage school with their busy work schedules and personal lives.
Carlos Coronado Cordova ’27, B.S. – Finance, is a successful Business Banking Relationship Manager in Arizona. A family man with a wife and three children, Coronado admits “the journey has been challenging,” but qualifies that it is also rewarding. He shares how he is balancing school, work and family — and even with 20 years of banking experience, how earning a bachelor’s degree is essential to advancement in his career and his family’s future.
Building A Banking Career
Coronado began working as a teller when he was 17 years old. From there, he advanced through multiple positions until he joined his current bank in 2021, where he advanced from Senior Branch Manager to Branch & Business Manager and more recently to a Relationship Manager.
“I was given a great opportunity as a teller to start a career in banking,” Coronado remarks. “I like to challenge myself and keep learning, so I’ve taken every training offered to me, earned various certifications and worked in different roles. Opportunities will always open in banking, but you have to plan and manage your career by projecting two positions ahead of where you are and challenge yourself to grow.”
Why Earn A Bachelor’s Degree
As a Banking Relationship Manager, Coronado manages a portfolio of business clients, acting as their primary advisor and connecting them to the bank’s commercial financial products.
Coronado explains, “The business clients I work with are hiring our neighbors and making sure our communities are thriving. I assist them with their cash management, fraud protection and connect them to the credit and lending solutions they need.
“Every day is different, but I hear a lot of stories about how an idea turned into a flourishing business that is now hiring 30 more people in our community — and buying that building across the street. I feel pride and excitement in having helped them get there.
“When I took on this role as Relationship Manager, I noticed that a lot of the community businesses need my assistance. To serve my clients well in my role, I have to continuously grow my knowledge to keep up with changing times. I also mentor employees, so I always want to make sure that I have the right information to share with them by looking ahead at what’s next in the banking industry.
“The only way I will be able to assist clients and employees is by furthering my education, so that I understand completely what’s going on locally and globally in the finance world.”
Why JWU Online
Coronado is grateful that his employer has a phenomenal partnership with Guild Education, through which he has received financial support to pursue a degree in Finance.
He reveals that JWU’s reputation in the culinary arts was influential to his choice of school.
“As a boy I was passionate about cooking. Every child imagines themselves wearing a special suit that relates to the role they want to see themselves in as a firefighter, a police officer, a doctor. Mine was a chef’s hat.
“While I was establishing a career in the banking industry, I still wanted to feed that inner child of mine, so my associate degree is in the culinary arts. I always heard that JWU was a top school for culinary management.
“Ten years later, when I looked for a school with an online finance degree program, JWU was one of the first to come up on Guild Education’s list of qualifying programs. I didn’t have to think about it twice — I chose JWU Online.”
Embracing Online Learning
JWU Online’s programs are delivered through ulearn, which runs off of the newly-updated Blackboard Ultra learning platform, connecting students to instructors, classmates, assignments, course documents and self-help resources, with technical support available via phone or email.
Cornado remarks, “The new online platform is awesome. I have colleagues who don’t like the online model of learning at their schools — they say their school’s platform is too complicated. JWU Online’s system is straightforward — easy to learn and navigate. I’ve never had any issues.
“I’m a hands-on person and I love learning in class, but classes on a campus wouldn’t work with my banking position and family life. At first, I had to adjust to the amount of reading and to completing assignments on a weekly schedule. As I learned to pace myself, online learning became fun.
“Communicating with my professors has been great. I appreciate that the professors are always on top of what’s going on in class. They don’t hesitate to ask me what I meant, or to expand on something, when they have a question about my assignments.
“The biggest adjustment was having to submit assignments by midnight eastern time, because I am three hours behind in Arizona. I appreciate that my professors were understanding when I reached out to explain why I was submitting the assignment a little late.”
The Finance Program
The program offers Coronado the opportunity to improve skills he uses in his work and elevate his knowledge about financial analysis and planning. “Statistics was one of the toughest courses,” comments Coronado, “but I see that I apply statistics almost on a daily basis.
“The program opened my eyes to areas in finance that I knew existed but hadn’t recognized how they could have a significant impact on my career. One example is that I am becoming more knowledgeable about evolving technology and tools used for financial analysis. AI is phenomenal, but it is not always correct and still requires human touch. You need to understand analytics to verify that the information is accurate and then be able to communicate it in a way that everybody can understand.”
Corporate Finance and Economics courses are helping Coronado advise his clients.
“The ability to break down information and resources about international finance and economics informs my understand of the challenges clients face locally, like a client of mine who is importing merchandise from abroad.”
Improving communication skills is important for Coronado.
“Rhetoric & Composition has been a great help — I’m taking the second level now. Communication is key in my role. I’m now better able to review my writing with a critical eye for proper grammar and to evaluate whether I have made my point accurately and effectively.”
Gaining proficiency in Excel gave Coronado a way to analyze a client’s finances.
“I put together a slideshow for a client in which I broke down revenue for his business ventures on an Excel spreadsheet, including net income and expenses plus some miscellaneous items. That simple Excel document helped us pinpoint an expense that could have been dramatically reduced and showed the client how his business can be more profitable in the future.
“During these challenging economic times, the Finance program is helping me provide accurate information to clients and advise them on how they can change their strategies — I believe they appreciate that.”
The Capstone Project
Now in his final year of the program, Coronado anticipates developing the Capstone Project that will complete his studies.
“This is where I will put together all that I have learned in the program. I’m planning a project that I can present to my leaders at the bank, to thank them for giving me the opportunity to earn my bachelor’s degree.
“I’ll likely focus on my sector of small business banking, and show where we are doing well, where I see opportunities for improvement and how we can tackle those areas. I’m grateful that the company invested in me, so if I can give back by helping the company better manage — or even make a small increase in — portfolio profitability that will be tremendous.”
Opening Doors To New Pathways In Banking
“I see myself following one of two pathways,” says Coronado. “I expect to pursue either a leadership role in which I can help the region I live in, or a support role at the national level.
“Leadership has different tiers. A leadership role for me would mean driving local market growth, and managing cross-functional teams across retail, commercial, and wealth management in one of the bank’s designated regions. A support role on the national level could help half the country because I would be developing new strategies, new products, new solutions and new ways to go into markets. The courses I am taking in the Finance bachelor’s degree program are preparing me for both pathways.”
Support is Essential To Balancing School, Work and Family
“Being a husband and father of three little ones, working full-time and attending school full-time has been challenging. I’m always balancing between taking time for my studies while not taking time away from my family or my employer. My best advice for students is that improving time management will help you succeed in the program.
“All of my professors have been helpful, even when I’m not able to be the best student because I have to travel for business, or something has come up with a client or with a new project I’ve been assigned to. The professors have been flexible and have encouraged me to turn in an assignment, even if it’s late, so that I get partial credit.”
“I am deeply grateful to my wife, who is sometimes a single mom.”
“She takes care of the kids and the house while I read and do homework. She has been the pillar that holds us up, because she understands that I am doing this to make a better life for all of us.”
“My academic advisor, Tracie Souza, deserves a lot of credit.”
“Tracie is the person at JWU Online who has helped me the most. Anytime I fell behind, Tracie was the first person I would hear from. She’d reach out to ask ‘what’s going on’ and did I need assistance or possibly tutoring. I’d let her know that I just needed to catch up — but hearing from her has helped keep me on track.”
“I’m grateful to my employer, who is paying for this program and for my family’s livelihood.”
“I’m committed to completing the program but without my wife, my employer, the leaders in my company who played a key role in my ongoing journey and my JWU Online professors and advisor, I wouldn’t be able to earn a bachelor’s degree in Finance.”
Coronado Is Adamant About The Importance Of Education
“I think we all chase dreams about where we want to be in life. But to make our dreams happen, we have to take steps and be willing to make sacrifices.
“Earning a degree hasn’t been easy for me. But I am passionate about wanting to be the best advisor to my clients and to give my family a good life. It is possible to balance work, school and family life. You’ve just got to be determined, you’ve got to be committed, and you’ve got to have the right circle of support around you.
“To all of the adults out there — the working parents and their families — please consider going back to school. We may think it can’t be done because there is so much going on in our lives. But earning my bachelor’s degree is proof that it can be done.”
Anticipating Commencement
“When I picture the commencement ceremony next May — with my wife and little ones, who are 7, 4 and 1, watching me — I get goosebumps. Walking across the stage to receive my bachelor’s diploma — even though later in life — will show my children that everything we dream of doing can be done. My family will see my pride in myself for completing the program — and they will be proud of me.
“I’m excited about what the future will hold. If earning a degree can help make your dreams happen, do it — so you will be excited about what your future holds, too.”
Are You Excited About A Future In A Financial Career?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics a career in Finance offers high earning potential. The BLS projects that overall employment of financial analysts will grow 7 percent from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations.
JWU Online offers a 100% online Bachelor of Science degree in Finance. To get started on your academic journey at JWU Online, complete the Request Info form, submit a free application or connect with a member of our dedicated admissions team at [email protected].