Praise for the "Family Warriors" who balance family, full-time work and PMBA courses

You’re probably wondering what a Family Warrior is, but it’s exactly what you might think. If you’re not a Family Warrior, then one could be someone who sits next to you in class, works on a project with you or is your cramming partner for your next exam. If you’re still wondering what a Family Warrior is, it’s the mothers, fathers, family members and guardians who care for children while also balancing work and this program. So, this shout-out is for y’all, and your family members who are taking care of your little one(s). 

As you probably know, yes, I’m a father in his 40s to a lovely 22-month-old daddy’s girl. For those of you wondering —yes, people will probably think I’m her grandpappy when she is in high school. Regarding family, I had a serious talk with my wife before I sent in my application to enroll in the USC PMBA. There were some tough questions we had to plow through together. I’m certain every other Family Warrior probably had a similar conversation with their spouse.

Besides the financial impact, the biggest uncertainty was if she’d be OK without as much help with the baby when I have classes at night, school project meetings, homework and study groups to attend. I want to shout out to her for her continuous support and positive attitude. For my fellow “Family Warriors” in similar circumstances, your spouse or family support is a FAMILY BEAST WARRIOR!!! I say that with the utmost respect as their efforts are so valuable. 

We all know that USC has a reputable PMBA program, and the question I get the most is, “Tim, how the heck do you do it? You have a full-time job, kid, wife, dogs, volunteer efforts, etc.?” The answer is simple — I have no clue how the heck I do it. As many of you know, many sacrifices come with being in this program. For me, that meant minimal time to work out. At this point, I’m just thankful I have dogs so I can squeeze in an occasional walk around the block. Taking back-to-back classes also puts me far behind in my Netflix series binges. I'm looking forward to completing the final exam in December just so I can binge House of the Dragon, Andor, Rings of Power, Bosch Legacy, etc.…. 

Similar to my sub-par fitness goals, all my home improvement projects hit the backburner as well. For the past two years, I’ve been delaying laying brick for my driveway and building an old-fashioned brick wall. Oh yeah — my buddy Shawn, who is also in the program, hasn’t been able to organize his garage since we started the PMBA. It just shows how much we all kissed a good chunk of our personal time away, to sacrifice for what is at the end of the tunnel. 

While I realize not all of us are Family Warriors, we all carry this heavy burden along with all other responsibilities, and this is a time for us to support each other. We all have those difficult days. I encourage you to take an extra moment to notice when a peer needs a shoulder to lean on or an ear to vent to. Help a buddy out.  You never know, they might hook you up with some pie — I did it with my study buddies! These moments bring us together because we aren’t meant to do it alone. 

If you are a Family Warrior, don’t forget to show your gratitude and appreciation toward your significant other and family members and friends who help out. Maybe it's some alone time and space after a difficult day or a fun date night. Trust me on this one. Just do it — HIRE THAT BABYSITTER. 

As a veteran Marine, I salute all Family Warriors, Family Beast Warriors and Ultimate Family Beast Warriors (those are the single parents). Without family or friends’ support, many of us would not be able to start — let alone finish — our PMBA. 

Best,
Tim Cuzmar ’23 Professional MBA expected graduation 
Project Manager at Kyndryl 
Connect with Tim. »