About Me

Eric Burns

Major

For the last couple of years I've been majoring in Software Engineering. I've been taking my time and have recently been considering a change to the new Applied Technology degree. My reason for considering the switch is I can graduate sooner and focus more of my education on programming classes, which is why I decided to go back to school in the first place. This is a hard choice because I like the idea of having a degree in Software Engineering over Applied Technology, but in the end, I believe it is the right decision.

Educational Background

I hold both a B.S. and M.Acc. in Accountancy from BYU-Provo, graduating 20 years ago. I've always wanted to learn to program and decided two years ago to go back to school. I've been an online student at BYU-Idaho for the past 2 years and have loved learning. I'm using what I've learned in my business and hope to graduate in another 1 1/2 years.

Family

I'm married and have 8 children. My oldest is in his freshman year at the University of Washington and my youngest just turned 4, so we have quite a wide range of ages and experiences. Of my 8 children, 2 of them were adopted from China over 3 years ago, and it has been both a joy and an adventure.

Professional Experience

After school I worked for Ernst & Young in New York and entered the world of consulting. Although I enjoyed what I did, after about 4 years, I took an opportunity to move closer to family and open a pediatric therapy clinic in Wenatchee, WA. Over the past 15 years, we've expanded our company to four locations throughout Eastern Washington. My goal is to take what I've learned (and hope to continue to learn) and couple that with my experience and business knowledge to not only solve problems in our own company but also take advantage of opportunities in the future.

Why I'm Taking WDD 130?

I'm honestly hoping to waive this class as I've already taken CS 213, which is the next class in this sequence. But since the Applied Technology degree requires this class for the Front End Web Development certificate, I've started taking this class this week until I can determine if it necessary to continue.

Personal Interests

I've worked with the Young Mens organization for over 10 years, in various capacities, most recently as a Scoutmaster. With the change in the direction of the Church, and due to some of our boys wanting to continue in Scouting, I've decided to charter a troop.

The picture shown above is at one of my first group of boys at Scout Camp.