How I chose my field of study

I chose this degree path because I feel that my service to society was not complete. After I retired, I was missing something and after soul searching, I realized I was missing serving something bigger than me. For 20 years I helped mold some of the finest warriors in the U.S Army. As I write this, my oldest biological son is serving under one of the soldiers who I trained. I want to give back to the veterans who may need it. I was fortunate with the way I turned out. I cannot say that about all my brothers and sisters in arms. I want to make changes loud enough that every veteran hears it.

How I plan to use my degree from UIS

I am a member of several veteran service organizations. In the MPA program there is a graduate certificate in management of nonprofit organizations that I will earn in conjunction with my degree. I plan on using this certificate and the knowledge that I gain to help revive some of these veteran service organizations. We are the next generation of veterans, and if we don’t step up, these great organizations will die off.

My experience at UIS

A specific experience I have had while a student at UIS was when I first came to orientation. This is the first time I have been to college outside of the military. While perusing my undergraduate, I studied in three different countries. I definitely look older than your average student. While in line to check in at orientation, this gentleman was talking to me about where “she would live” and if I wanted to “escort her” to her dorm. I was confused and asked him what he meant about his statement. He thought the student in front of me was my daughter, it was an awkward moment for all of us that was interrupted by laughs from us all.