On His Way to a Doctorate
Disabled veteran plans to put his WGU degree and his past trauma to work for others.
Skip Soderquist believes WGU Ohio holds the key to his future.
Soderquist, 56, of Columbus, is studying for his bachelor’s degree in healthcare business administration, and then plans to pursue an MBA in the same field at WGU.
The former professional chef eventually hopes to pursue a doctorate in behavioral psychology.
He is taking classes full-time while caring for his mother. But his work and life experiences have allowed him to progress quickly through several classes because he is awarded credit by demonstrating what he knows.
“What sets them apart, literally from every other online school that I looked at is the ability to go as fast as you could,” he said. "It’s very hard to find a school that lets you go at your own pace. And you pay one fee for the semester and can take as many classes as you can finish.”
He also appreciates that the courses are online, since he is a disabled veteran. He served in the Army as a paratrooper from 1980 to 1984. He said he also was diagnosed with PTSD and has issues with anxiety and panic attacks. He said he is focused on psychology because he has gone through some hard times, including homelessness.
“When you went through all this, you are someone who can do something about it,” he said.
