Current occupation: Composer/Audio Engineer
What made you decide to pursue your degree as an adult?
I’ve always wanted to be a private investigator and decided that now is as good a time as any, to do it.
Why did you choose to study at Tiffin University?
Good reputation for criminal justice and had an online program that worked with my schedule.
Describe your experience with the program so far.
It was a great experience. The only thing that made me anxious was actually going back to school after being out for such a long time.
Describe your interactions with your cohort and faculty?
Great interactions. Everyone seemed to be positive, and my instructors were all willing and available to help.
How are you juggling work, life, and going back to school? Any tips?
Time management and staying focused on your goals and realizing that you can’t do everything all at once is key. So, putting some things on hold while completing your degree is a necessity.
What keeps you motivated to stay in the program?
Keeping focused on the end goal. As time goes on, seeing that there is more work for my degree behind me, than what’s left in front of me.
What advice would you give to a prospective student who is thinking about going back to school?
If it’s something that you really want to do, do it. You’ll figure out a way to get it done, and if you need help, the academic advisors at Tiffin U. can help you out.
TU’s motto is: Without risk there is no gain. Can you tell us about a time when you took a risk and what you gained from it?
One time, I was called to play bass for a band that was warming up for a well-known band (I’m not a bass player, I play guitar). The bass player for the band was stuck in Chicago. The gig was in one hour and the band (who I’d never heard play) played all original music. I’m not sure why I did, but I said: “Yea, I can do it. Let me iron a shirt and I’ll be right there.” I got there and was given pieces of paper with chord names written on them (no music) and we headed to the stage. The drummer was great, he said: “If I do this… it’s a syncopation, if I do this…it’s a stop time. I kept one eye on him and one eye on the chord changes and everything went really well. So, I ended up playing an instrument that I normally don’t play, on songs that I had never heard before, in front of 1500+ people. From then on, I’ve had the attitude that if I can do that, I can do anything.