Throughout his life, Timothy Rump was searching for what was next — his next job, his next step in life. But just before graduating from the University of Arizona Global Campus with his bachelor’s degree in health care administration, the next step found him.
A former employer, who had heard about Timothy’s degree, reached out to offer him an office manager position.
He interviewed and received an offer for the job on the spot. It was a bit of good fortune that Timothy attributes to his academic success, and for him, it had been a long time coming.
Becoming Resilient
Timothy is very open when it comes to discussing his rocky road leading up to UAGC.
Born into a household with a violent, alcoholic father, he and his mother were kicked out of the house, when Timothy was just 2 years old.
In school, Timothy was placed in special education classes because his school wasn’t able to distinguish between learning and behavior issues. He also underwent several years of child therapy as he and his mother struggled to stay afloat.
Timothy found escape watching the cartoon “G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero” and spent much of his youth dreaming of serving his country.
“The one thing I knew I wanted to do all my life was, be in the military,” he says.
After graduating from high school, Timothy pursued that dream. Unfortunately, it was short-lived. Timothy wasn’t able to complete his full four-year term because he caught double pneumonia so severely that it damaged his lungs, leading to a medical discharge.
“I didn’t have much of a plan C, or a plan D, as far as what I was going to do with my life, and I kind of fell into a depression,” Timothy recalls.
The depression took a toll on his mental and physical health, as he found himself sleeping at odd hours and often up to 10 to 12 hours at a time. Then, in 2001 when the U.S. went to war following the September 11 attacks, Timothy realized that his life had steered him away from potential tragedy.
Seeing reports of a U.S. military helicopter that went down in Afghanistan, Timothy realized that he likely would have been assigned to that unit. It was a wake-up call, of sorts.
“It snapped me out of that depression,” he says. “It made me realize that I wanted to go back to school.”
Anything but Health Care?
Several people in Timothy’s life assumed that when he returned to school, he would pursue a health care degree because that’s what others in his family had done.
But he was thinking of a different path, and instead went on to earn an associate degree in visual communications. Timothy thought that would propel him into the video game or advertising industries, but he struggled to find his way. At the same time, his full-time job with the Department of Labor was eliminated, leaving him with no income.
For others, the barrage of bad luck might have been too much to handle. Timothy, however, is nothing if not resilient. After considering his options, he started a new path.
“I thought, I’m in the Pittsburgh area. If there’s one thing Pittsburgh’s known for, it’s medical,” he says. “I said, ‘I’m going to go to a call center,’ and I ended up doing exceptionally well.”
Finding Success in Unexpected Places
That call center job became a springboard for Timothy’s success. He was the top-performing employee for three straight months, and then took on a similar role at Allegheny Center for Digestive Health, where he was quickly promoted to a lead role.
“That’s when I thought, if I’m doing well here, I’m going back to school for it,” he says.
After researching colleges, Timothy found that many of his associate degree credits would transfer over to UAGC. That made the choice easier, and Timothy explains, this time, he wasn’t just going back to school for himself.
“It was a combination of wanting to prove myself and make my family proud, but also to provide a better life for my wife,” he says.
During his first year at UAGC, Timothy juggled a full-time job, a part-time job, and his classes.
His wife was extremely supportive, he says, and was surprised at how well he did. Not only did Timothy maintain a 4.0 GPA throughout his entire time earning his bachelor’s degree in health care administration, but he was also invited to join Alpha Sigma Lambda, the Golden Key Honour Society, and the University’s Honors Program.
Timothy’s mother has been another driving force in his life. She endured everything he did growing up, as well as a difficult childhood herself. With no degree or formal education, she took odd jobs like cutting hair and doing notary work, while writing on the side. Today, she is an accomplished author with several books and published poetry.
“She’s been my inspiration, honestly, to do what I’ve done,” he says.
The Joy of Health Care
By the end of his first year, Timothy was working as a Lead Surgery Scheduler at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Children’s Hospital, a position that relied heavily on his operations management and project management skills.
As he neared graduation in July 2024, he got the call to return to Allegheny Health Network, and now he manages the daily operations of a primary care office. It’s the perfect fit for his health care administration degree, he says, adding that he’s grown to love a field that he was at first hesitant about joining.
“It’s the best place to build a foundation,” he says.
A Better Person, A Better Life
Though he’s finished one chapter of his academic journey, Timothy is not closing the book on UAGC. Through the Honors Program, he’s become involved in community outreach, seizing opportunities to plant a community garden and work with SHIM, an organization that partners with local community gardens to provide donations to food banks. This led him to partner with Grow Pittsburgh and to begin volunteering with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, which he continues to do today.
“All that was possible because of the Honors Program,” he says.
But the most valuable skill Timothy learned while at UAGC was embracing diversity and open-mindedness. He believes the classes in ethics, logistics, and the Honors Program helped him become a better person and listener, which has greatly benefited his career. These experiences exposed him to people who think differently, broadening his perspective and making him more willing to listen to others.
“That definitely feeds into a successful career—being able to listen to anyone, put those differences aside, and say, ‘How can we work together to make something work?’” he says.
Timothy says his entire time with UAGC has instilled within him a hunger and a drive that keeps the gears turning, pushing him to keep going.
“I have the desire now to maybe go further down the line, get that hood, and earn that master’s degree,” he says.
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Student success stories should not be interpreted as a promise or guarantee of career advancement or future earnings. The stories shared here represent the outcomes of individual students for illustrative purposes only.