Fresh out of high school, my parents afforded me the opportunity to get a college education. Unfortunately I did not apply myself. I was not focused due to my immaturity and lack of wisdom. Today I am much older and wiser with 27 wonderful years of marriage, two beautiful daughters and 21 years of military service (Army retired), I have decided to go back and get that college education. I knew financially we couldn’t afford for me to go back to school because our oldest daughter was graduating this year from college to include our youngest daughter who would be graduating from high school and pursing college too. I found out that the Veterans Administration had a new education bill called the 911 Montgomery GI Bill that I qualified for to further my education.
Before I retired in 2002 from the Army, I achieved my Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSC) certification. I was blessed to retire from the military and get a Human Resource Manager position at Fort Lee, VA. I was hired later as a System Administrator (contractor) in the Information Technology field at Fort Lee. I have continued to work in the Information Technology field since my retirement. I chose CTU based on the high recommendations that came from colleagues and friends. CTU made it very easy to apply and get enrolled. I will be working on my Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (Networking). I am very excited to be starting this new chapter in my life with the hopes of using my education to better myself in the IT field.
I do have mixed emotions about going back to college and getting my degree. I am nervous but excited. I see great things for my family and me once I graduate. I feel that I will stand out more when I apply fo...
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...k on my unfinished projects/assignments during lunch. I have access to fax machines in my home and work to include a digital scanner which will also allow me to get my assignments to my instructor at CTU.
As I work towards my personal goal of being debt free, I will try to reward myself and my family with going out to eat once a month as we stay focused on paying off our bills. I know I can count on my family to help me with achieving my long term and short term goals. I will plan to reward us by ensuring that we still make time for our sit down dinners and family movie/TV time.
I will review my personal plan quarterly to ensure I stay on track. As I keep my eye on the big prize (obtaining my degree), I will continue to remind myself of how I foolishly ignored a college education when I was young and how blessed I am now to be afforded a second chance.
Going back to college after you have been out of school for quite a few years, had three children, been married, and divorced is a lot harder than I ever imagined. It takes hard work, dedication, and missing out on the little things previously taken for granted. I miss taking naps the most. I believe if you can tough it out through the worst days, you can finish school and provide a better life for your children and yourself. You need a lot of willpower and a large sense of humor.
...ain a university degree. Implementing a personal plan only enhances this chance and I fully intend to do my part. However, I would like to acknowledge an Authority over my life that supersedes any plans I might have, and that is my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. My first priority is to focus on and increase in my relationship with God. The bible says, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps” (Proverbs 16:9, NIV). Presbyterian minister Eugene Petersen sums my feelings up most eloquently, “…so, my task is not relying so much on my will, or fixating on how I think things should be done “…but to become aware of what God is doing so that I can respond to it , and participate and take delight in it.” (Clapp, 1987) Earning my college degree would satisfy one step in my greater mission to fully realize my highest potential.
I 'm warning you that this will require a change in your behavior. Using this method is powerful, but it means that you won 't be able to buy new clothes, tools, or toys whenever you want. It also means that you will be moving quickly towards a debt-free life where you don 't have to feel guilty and stressed about how much money you owe.
The Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, also known as the GI Bill of Rights (GI Bill), was signed into law on June 22, 1944, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt (United States Department of Veterans Affairs, 2012). It was a pivotal point in history, which has impacted the United States socially, economically and politically. Today, educational benefits are primary tools used to recruit service members. In 2007-2008, about 4 percent of all undergraduates and about 4 percent of all graduate students were veterans or military service members (Radford, 2011). Furthermore, the recent expansions in benefits increase the use of education benefits by veterans will grow almost 5 percent (Simon, Negrusa, & Warner, 2009). To improve the success in higher education, veterans must ensure they keep updated on current educational assistance programs as well as other educational services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and their institutions.
Nearly 20% of all single-family homes built from 1945-1965 were financed, at least in part, by the G.I. Bill's loan guarantee program is available. With these subsidies, veterans were able to afford improved housing, fostering the emergence of a new middle class. The G.I. Bill has had many incarnations since Franklin Roosevelt signed the original Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944. Current Montgomery G.I. Bill, enacted in 1984, uses optional tuition benefits to serve as an incentive to military service. It is a voluntary plan that requires a contribution on the part of the soldier in order to earn tuition benefits.
Sander, Libby. "GI Bill Offers Military Children Relief From College Costs." Chronicle of Higher Education 01 Mar. 2013: A4. Ebsco. Web. 24 Jan. 2014. .
My Air Force story begins with me searching for a viable way to pay for college. I was brought up in a home with two hard working parents who were great role models that tried to provide every opportunity for me. However, my family was part of the lower-middle class which meant I needed a way to pay for college. I followed suit with my parent’s stringent work ethic and set a goal to pursue a degree in aerospace engineering and have the Air Force fund it. I felt that the Air Force would be a great match as it would allow me to pursue my aviation dream and also serve as a great way to fund my education due to my financial needs. After a challenging process I received an Air Force ROTC scholarship to attend the Georgia Institute of Technology and pursue a degree in Aerospace Engineering. In return for this scholarship I would have to pay the Air Force back with four years of service.
The main reason many high school students decide not to attend college is financial funding. Some students receive a loan from the bank to pay for school, but they are required to pay that loan back. Most of the loans have high interest rates and make it difficult to pay back. The G.I Bill allows students who service in the military to go to school and graduate with no debt. The law states that if Mandatory Military Service Act goes into effect in America, it would be immediately used for those men and
It includes the same beginning aspects of my five-year plan however adding the aspects of having graduated with a Masters degree and having four years of work experience as a speech language pathologist. Along with the professional aspect of my life within the next decade, I also plan to establish a work-life-family balance, as I want to get married and start a family as well. This adds many challenges as my plan now involves others, however it is my ultimate goal. Although thinking this far in advance has many positive effects; it allows you to set short term and long term goals, lets you see an over view of how you envision your life within the given time frame and also provides you with the ability to time-manage to avoid potential stress, it also has many negatives too. For example, life is never as perfect as we plan out and many challenges which steer individuals in various directions occur creating an added pressure for the individual to actually complete the goal by the given time which causes additional stress. However, besides the pros and cons of planning one’s future, I strongly believe it has many benefits which outweigh the disadvantages and ultimately allow for greater levels of
The decision to enroll in graduate school came after considerable time and soul searching. While contemplating the decision to return to school I thought about life, school and work. I realized that my experience in these areas have prepared me for the challenge and I am going to succeed.
Like the majority of Americans, my debt level is not good. My credit worthiness is only acceptable because of my consistent payment of monthly bills. However, when doing a solid debt analysis and comparing it with my credit character, I am not a good risk for most lenders.
When I first enrolled here at State University, I never thought I would ever be in the position to graduate. Finishing college was a huge goal growing up but it was also my biggest fear. But after three and a half years of dedication I plan to get my degree in the fall. Getting this far in college was not easy, it took encouragement from family, dedication, and assistance from others to reach this position.
Being employee with Accenture was an eye opener for me, and then I found my inclination towards information system and bu...
My ambitiousness and networking opened the doors for me to work at Dell computers after graduating from high school. This was a match made in heaven because my love for technology and business would be brought together. I was able to thrive in this environment due to effectiveness communicating and ability to build rapport with customers and co-workers. I quickly exceled into a leadership role and started different incentives with in my organization. Working for a Global end to end IT Solution Company has allowed me the ability to work on different projects and different people all over the world. Because of my problem solving analytics I have overseen multimillion dollar contracts with the Federal Government agencies. Working with several DoD and Civilian agencies has allowed to experience real life business IT issues. It’s amazing that I have a helping hand in protecting our country and helping our country run more effectively. Creating solutions that work effectively takes lots of time and effort also lots of learning. Learning has inspired me to continue my education, it would make me more successful at my current job and show my daughters that education is important. I believe the University Of Texas at Austin is the right path to challenge myself further. Taking real life IT experience into the class room will also enable me to be a better classmate.
Many things have lead up to my decision to choose a career in Information Systems. It started at my first semester at my local community college. I was enrolled in their graphic design program and most of the classes I was taking consisted of art classes. My first computer class was working in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. They are graphic programs that many graphic designerÕs use to make their design work. While working with these programs I was very intrigued by the power of computers and how they work. While going to school at the local community college I soon got a job at CitiMortgage working at the computer help desk. I was learning more about computers and networking which helped lead to my decision to change my degree of study to information systems.