"My father and mother served in the United States Marine Corps and Navy, respectively. So military service was a part of my family and upbringing. I joined the Army because I could pick a career in information technology. I had responsibilities and going to a brick-and-mortar school before getting a job would not allow me to take care of my family properly. In 2006 I joined the Army and became a 25B Information Technology Specialist.
"Fast-forward 12 years and two deployments later I graduated from a local community college near Fort Lewis, WA. Career progression in the Army is very competitive and a college education is necessary in my job field. I did well and had great grades. I attribute that to the discipline and values the military instilled in me. But I was glad to be done because it took me five years to earn that degree. Taking three classes at a time and all the assessments and due dates made it hard for me to continue my education during deployments and missions."
If only I would have found WGU sooner. I wanted to stop going to school and give up on trying to reach my goal of getting a master's in IT, but WGU changed my mind. Not only did I complete my B.S. in Network Operations & Security at a faster pace with no deadlines and more flexibility, but WGU made me successful in the interim by allowing me to earn serval industry-recognized certifications that helped me get promoted and expanded my capabilities as I changed fields to cyber defense. WGU has made me a believer in higher education not being a waste of time, and I will be coming back to get my master’s degree from WGU. As a service member on active duty, my job can take me all over the world, and I could have unpredictable hours. But not once during my time at WGU was I unable to study around my family time with my wife and four kids or my missions. My classes were on my phone and any computer I had access to at any time. So, thank you WGU for supporting me while I support my country. WGU gave me freedom from the conventional classroom. WGU provided me the opportunity to be successful. There is nothing more American than freedom. Go Night Owls!”
*The views and opinions presented herein are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of DoD or the Army, Appearance of, or reference to, any commercial products or services does not constitute DoD or Army endorsement of those products or services. The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute DoD or Army endorsement of the linked websites, or the information, products or services therein.
