"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!”