Current occupation: Research Analyst, Consultant, and Ice Hockey Coach
What made you decide to pursue your degree as an adult?
Continuous self-improvement is one of my core beliefs. I am constantly searching for new knowledge and hoping to expand my horizons.
Why did you choose to study at Tiffin University?
While completing my second Master’s degree, I made the decision to seek a PhD. The issue at the time was deciding where, when, and how to accomplish this goal. I completed my first Master’s at Tiffin University in 2009 and thanks to the university’s meaningful communication with alumni, I was able to enter into the PhD program from its inception. Tiffin offered a PhD that met my personal and professional goals, nested with my professional experiences, and offered a platform and avenue to achieve those goals that were well within my competencies and capabilities. I started the PhD program while an active duty US Army Lieutenant Colonel. Tiffin University is an incredibly military-friendly school. The staff and faculty understand and are empathetic to the requirements of military service. I never had an issue managing military service with my educational endeavors at TU.
Describe your experience with the program so far.
I am at the tail end of the Doctoral journey, so I am well versed in the experience of a Doctoral student and candidate at Tiffin University. The program is logical and iterative in nature. The coursework is intentional and well-designed to enable working adults to achieve a terminal degree. I learned as much about myself throughout the journey as I have from the coursework. A PhD forces you to be introspective and examine your capabilities to achieve academic excellence. Expect to work hard and be challenged in every aspect of your being.
Describe your experience with your cohort and faculty.
You will find a diverse and dedicated faculty in the PhD in Global Leadership and Change program. The faculty has your success in mind with everything they do. They will challenge your assumptions and give you practical experience in the application of global leadership. The PhD faculty and staff demonstrate a strong desire to see you succeed academically, professionally, and personally. They are your biggest fans in this journey and they take your success personally.
How are you juggling work, life and going back to school? Any tips?
I tell everyone I mentor that a PhD is not hard, but it is a lot of work! You can do this if you dedicate yourself to managing your time and you are willing to make small sacrifices. Throughout this journey, I have not missed a single one of my kids’ events, concerts, or games. You can find balance with the PhD coursework, your profession, and your personal life – if you prioritize and allocate time to be present for the key events in each aspect.
What keeps you motivated to stay in the program?
I do not quit. I am of the mindset that I accomplish what I set out to do. If I tell you I am going to do it, I am going to do it. It is just part of the example I try to set.
What advice would you give to a prospective student who is thinking about going back to school?
Invest in yourself. You are worth the effort and continuing your education will enable you to improve your family, your community, your profession, and every other aspect of your life.
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?
Risk is inherent in everything that has value. During my third deployment to Iraq in 2007-2008, I determined that my unit’s focus would be on eliminating what I believed the root causes of the insurgency were: meeting the basic needs of society. Instead of conducting direct action against insurgent groups and individuals, I allocated resources to re-establishing the local infrastructure and sources of meaningful labor which I theorized would enable adult males to provide for the basic needs of their families, clans, and tribes. This meant that I was largely ignoring insurgent groups and their leadership. Instead, the plan was to eliminate the causes of the insurgency.
Over the 15 months of that deployment, those measures eliminated all insurgent activity in the area and returned the area to a productive agricultural area. At the end of that mission, the area was transitioned completely to the Iraqi people, and American forces were no longer employed in that district of Baghdad. We affected real change by accepting the risk to our forces by not focusing on direct combat to eliminate insurgents, but instead allocating our warfighting manpower to solving the root causes of why people participate in an insurgency.