Introdcution

In order to explain my role in a company, I must explain my degree and work history

first. From 2014-2017 I attended the University of North Texas under the Applied Technology

and Performance Improvement degree under the Bachelor of Applied Arts & Sciences. This is

what is known as a work-based degree that allows me to use my work history and experience as

a stepping stone in my education to further develop my leadership, management, and

communication skills.

Through classes such as Personal Development, Project Management & Performance

Improvement, and Human Relations in Business, Education, and Industry I have learned

skills that I can now apply in the workforce to obtain a position in management, training, or team

leading in which I can be comfortable with my ability to perform well and excel. My previous

employment experience as a private technology consultant, in retail sales, and as a technology

volunteer with Corpus Christi Independent School District puts me in a place where I can lead a

project team though the purchasing stage as a consultant, or be put in charge of a held desk team

as a Help Desk Manager for a school or office.

My career experience is what lays the foundation for me to utilize my degree to obtain a

higher position in the company I chose to work for, as once I have the work experience and

familiarity with my job and its tasks and requirements I can put my leadership skills to use and

train others for that same position and ensure an improvement in productivity and efficiency. I

hope that you can agree with these statements and I look forward to working with you. If you

have any further interest, please look below for an explanation of every class I have taken during

the entirety of my academic career, and please feel free to contact me if you have any questions

regarding my skills and experience.

Cyrus Lawrence
UNIVERSITY CORE

ARTS 1311 DESIGN I

Design I taught me the basics of composition and aesthetics when creating any sort of

physical or digital media. This will come into play when designing graphical information or

any other type of multimedia presentation.

BEHV 3200 WEIRD BEHAVIOR

Weird Behavior was a course over why people hold certain ideas or beliefs that dont always

make sense. Whether this is a belief in the paranormal, the extraterrestrial, or the spiritual the

class taught me how to understand and respect what others believe and not to judge a good

person on a bad belief.

BIOL 1408 COLLEGE BIOLOGY

Through basic College Biology I can utilize the scientific method of having a question,

forming a hypothesis, testing it, and finding an answer to any problem that can occur on the

job.

BIOL 1409 DIVERSITY AND ENVIROMENT

Building off from what I learned in BIOL 1408, in Diversity and Environment I found

appreciation for sustainable business practices after seeing firsthand what waste, pollution,

and runoff can do to my communitys natural wetlands that are shrinking faster and faster

each day due to the waste created by local refineries and illegal dumping.

ECON 1100 PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS

What I took home from Microeconomics is how the economy works in the grander scheme

of things, how it affects businesses, and how corporations and small time entrepreneurs can

have a huge role in the direction and state of the economy.

ENGL 1310 COMPOSITION I

Through Composition I I could better develop writing skills that will help in both creative

writing, technical writing, and professional communication.

ENGL 1320 COMPOSITION II

Just like in Composition I I could practice writing skills, but also learned more on how to

write in response to topics and literature provided. This will surely help when replying to

memos, technical documents, and daily work correspondence.

ENGL 2332 WORLD LITERATURE I

World Literature I allowed me to experience the writing styles of other cultures as we studied

the Iliad and how Homer crafted such a complex and moving story. We then produced a

retelling of the story within the class using social media postings and student created

websites.

GOVT 2305 FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

Through Federal Government I learned more about our federal structure and how business

and corporations are able to exist through the free market established by laws within our

federal government, but also how that very same the government regulates those businesses

to keep competition alive and fair.

GOVT 2306 TEXAS GOVERNMENT

Through Texas Government I learned how the Texas state government regulates and

encourages business in its state. This is invaluable information when trying to start your own

business, as I have considered doing so.

HIST 1301 UNITED STATES HISTORY I & II

Through studying the history of the United States, I have been able to see a history of

leadership, of economic strife, and of economic growth through the development of new

technologies and inventions that have changed the course of history and how we

communicate.

KINE 1125 RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES

Recreational Activates was full of fun team based recreational games and for our final we

were tasked with working as a team to create a new game that could be played at a park,

field, or gym for both children and the elderly. A challenging and unique class that promoted

teamwork, strong leadership skills, and physical activity.

MATH 1314 COLLEGE ALGEBRA/MATH 1180 MATH FOR BUSINESS AND

ECONOMICS

Math for Business and Economics and College Algebra were two courses that challenged me

greatly. Of course, I did learn skills such as being able to calculate compounded interest,

return of investment, etc. But the greatest thing I learned from these courses happened

outside of class. I never bothered studying for a class until these two pushed me to do so, or

risk failing. A true test of grit.

PHIL 2306 INTRODUCTION TO ETHICS

Introduction to Ethics covered what it means to be right and wrong, and how those morals

can change based on a persons location, background, or beliefs. This course taught me to be

open with how I feel and express those feelings, and to be open and understanding to others

who may not do or say something I believe is right, because it simply may not follow my

prescription of being morally correct. Despite this, there are certainly things that are ethically
 wrong, no matter where your morals align and with the rise of corporate ethics regarding

social issues and the environment, it is a good skill to have these days.

PSYCH 2301 GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY

General Psychology was a class that simply told me to think. And it also taught me how

humans think, what parts of the brain are used for certain actions, and how those actions can

define who we are as a person. Knowing this, you become much more self-aware of your

actions and emotions, and how those can be read by others to form their own opinions of

you. In the business world, I plan to take that into full consideration, as how people view me

as a person and employee will affect my entire career.

OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALIZATION

GAME 1304 LEVEL DESIGN

Level Design was a fun class I took as an elective which centered around learning the tool

Source SDK to create levels and maps for one of my favorite video games. I discovered the

technical aspect behind a game I enjoy and work in a team setting to realize our goals and see

our code and 3D assets come to life in a living, breathing world.

GAME 1406 DESIGN & CREATION OF GAMES

Design & Creation of Games was part History of Video Games and part learning Torque 3D,

a video game engine capable of being used to create games. The class also touched on the

creation of games as learning tools, working with children with mental handicaps through

virtual worlds, and how multicultural communities exist within game world with little to no

conflict between one another. An excellent class that was able to show me what my technical

abilities could help create.

ITSE 1402 COMPUTER PROGRAMMING

My introduction to computer programming got me on the path to begin developing digital

products through writing code. Initially we began with C++ and later moved to HTML and

CSS which started a brief spurt of interest in web development in myself that I would love to

go back to post-graduation. Many problem-solving scenarios where we had to work as a team

to debug code.

KINE 1122 WEIGHT TRAINING BEGGINER/ KINE 2122 WEIGHT TRAINING

INTERMEDIATE

Two semesters of Weight Training taught me the importance of staying in proper physical

health, the basics of ergonomics, and most importantly the ability to grit my teeth and keep

pressing on no matter how much it hurts or how much I want to give up. Its one of my

stronger strengths now.

ITSC 1309 INTEGRATED SOFTWARE APPLICATION I / LTEC 1100 COMPUTER

APPLICATIONS

Integrated Software Application and LTEC 1100 Computer Applications were very much the

same course. Through these courses I was able to brush up on basic Microsoft Office skills

and become exposed to Access as a program.

DRAM 2367 DEVELOPMENT OF MOTION PICTURES

In Development of Motion Pictures, we learned camera operating techniques and basic pre-

production skills when filming that will surely come in handy when creating educational and

training media.

ART 1300 ART APPRECIATEION FOR NON-MAJORS

 Art Appreciation allowed myself to look at something I had no interest in and see the

good in it, this class was an eye-opening experience in picking out details and learning from

visual cues.

BCIS 2610 INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTERS IN BUSINESS

Computers in Business showed me the basics of how important computerized data storage

and processing has ultimately become in the 21st century and how reliant businesses are on

technically competent employees and the stability of their computer networks.

ECON 1100 PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS

What I took home from Microeconomics is how the economy works in the grander scheme

of things, how it affects businesses, and how corporations and small time entrepreneurs can

have a huge role in the direction and state of the economy.

LTEC 1100 COMPUTER APPLICATION

Computer Applications was another refresher course that went over basic computer

applications such as Access, Word, PowerPoint, and others. A very simple class that teaches

good strategies for working within the Office suite.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

LTEC 3010 PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Personal Development speaks for itself. The class taught me how to better myself, and

ultimately how to get my business together to create a professional image for myself and

create job related skills such as basic etiquette and business communication skills.

LTEC 3220 COMPUTER GRAPHICS IN EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Computer Graphics in Education and Training was a very fun class that went over Adobe

Photoshop a bit more intensively than I had expected. I was already well versed in the
program when entering the class due to hobbyist photography but even I learned a few new

tools within the program I had never needed until now. My ability to create sharp and

professional still images and edit my compositions has improved greatly due to this course.

LTEC 3260 WEB AUTHORING

Web Authoring covered the basics of HTML and CSS that I had learned in my previous

Computer Programming class, but a bit more in depth. Definitely a good refresher and

opportunity to move from HTML to HTML5 and learn what the new language was capable

as far as inline multimedia including video. The possibilities with HTML5 and distance

learning are endless.

LTEC 3440 INTRODUCTION TO INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY

Instructional Technology covered a wide range of technologies ranging from the simple

pencil to the complexities of distance learning over the internet using computers. This helped

me begin to realize the technical issues involved in distribution of online resources.

LTEC 3530 DATA COMMUNICATION

Borrowing from what I learned in Instructional Technology, Data Communication began to

cover topics such as satellite communications to provide distance learning to developing

nations, latency, and throughput bandwidth. Topics I had never gotten into despite my

background in computers but has gotten me more interested in basic network development.

LTEC 4000 TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

Training and Development was my first real taste in learning exactly how distance education

and training work, all while taking a class remotely. It was a very meta experience and

garnered much appreciation for all the work that goes into creating courses that can be

accessible to so many.
LTEC 4050 ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT

The Entrepreneurship and Performance Improvement course was possibly one of my favorite

courses. There was an immense amount of information, problem solving, and role playing

involved in the class. The coursework was geared towards a business you plan to open and

coming up with a location, target demographic, a need for the business to fulfil within your

community, and how to acquire the funding you need after making a list of items needed to

open and run your business.

LTEC 4060 PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT

Project Management and Performance Improvement introduced me to Gantt charts and

learning how to manage an entire team throughout the length of a time or budget constrained

project as well as concepts such as slack.

LTEC 4070 PRINCIPLES OF LEADERSHIP, EMPOWERMENT, AND TEAM

BUILDING

Leadership, Empowerment, and Team Building facilitated the learning of concepts and

techniques used in leadership to build and manage teams and empower employees.

LTEC 4121 TECHNICAL PRESENTATION SKILLS/ SPCH 1315 PUBLIC

SPEAKING

Technical Presentation Skills and Public Speaking were both very similar classes that helped

me get over my fear or public speaking not just once, but twice! The classes showed me the

importance of being able to communicate plans, ideas, and technical instruction to a large

crowd in a professional manner without fault.

LTEC 4160 ADVANCED COMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN EDUCATION AND

TRAINING
Advanced Computer Applications in Education and Training is to me the Capstone course for

my previous computer skill centric courses. The class goes over higher level skills without

much instruction and mainly provides instruction on the assignment and leaves you to figure

out the rest on your own. A very real and accurate expectation to have when entering the

workforce, but without the same kind of pressure as mistakes are allowed as part of learning.

LTEC 4210 MULTIMEDIA IN EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Multimedia in Education and Training covered all the facets of digital audio and video

production, instructional design in multimedia, camera operation, and post-production

editing. My background with my Motion Picture class put me ahead of the course material,

and this class worked as a great test of my skills in a comfortable educational setting which

produced wonderful results.

LTEC 4470 HUMAN RELATIONS IN BUSINESS, EDUCATION, AND INDUSTRY

Human Relations in Business, Education, and Industry brought up to me the importance of

interpersonal communication and relationships in business, both with bosses and coworkers

but also with clients, customers, and students. This has certainly helped me in how I treat

those I work with and become much more outgoing and open with my coworkers while still

maintaining a professional relationship while on the clock.

LTEC 4510 COMMUNICATIONS IN BUSINESS, EDUCATION, AND INDUSTRY

Communications in Business, Education, and Industry covered how to effectively

communicate ideas and instruction in a professional manner through written and verbal

communication with others.

LTEC 4741 ATPI CAPSTONE

 My ATPI Capstone is the culmination of all of these courses and the knowledge and

experience they have provided for me to turn into job orientated skills. This course is what

will test my mettle and decide if I have effectively understood the instruction I have been

receiving these past few years.

SUMMARY

It is through these courses and the skills my education through the ATPI program that I know I

am ready to enter the workforce with the ability to perform. Through my Bachelors of Applied

Arts and Sciences I take skills from both the Bachelors of Arts and the Bachelors of Science and

learn how to apply them to a career in technology and performance improvement. I have learned

how to increase my own productivity and performance, and how to manage a team to do the

same.