One University of Phoenix student’s moment of truth hit him as his shift as a video store clerk was winding down.

It just wasn’t what he wanted to be doing at age 30.

So T.J. decided it was time to chart a career path that would take him places.

In a YouTube video produced by his soon-to-be alma mater, he breaks down how he made one of the biggest decisions about his education: whether to study online or on campus.

It all boiled down to one thing.

“It was an easy decision for me, because I needed that personal interaction. I needed to be able to look into someone’s eyes and understand that they got it, and I wanted them to be able to do the same with me.”

T.J. has class one night a week from 6 to 10 p.m., and meets with a learning team of three to five fellow students for another four hours a week.

He said he thrives on the diverse viewpoints of his classmates: a business owner, a hair stylist, married folks, single moms.

Most of his work days stretch from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and study time begins after his wife goes to bed.

Sounds pretty overwhelming, if you ask me.

Yet T.J. is on his way to joining the Phoenix’s class of 2012 and exudes a proud air of accomplishment when he states his 10-year career goal: to be a chief information officer for a Fortune 500 company.

“Are you sure about that?” a producer quips as the video winds to a close.

“I am 100 percent sure,” T.J. says, beaming one heck of a bright smile.

Editor’s Note: University of Phoenix is one of the hundreds of schools featured on AllAlliedHealthSchools.com. It did not pay for this content.

Image and video: University of Phoenix