Alumni Testimonials

Q: “Tell us about you as a person, where you live, your family, and interests.”
A: “I live in Kennewick, Washington, with my partner of 14 years. I have raised my son since he was 6-years-old and am now beginning to see the fruits of my labor as he’s grown into a wonderful 21-year-old man! I have always been drawn to music, so back in the day I was in original bands as a singer. I love technology and I love taking pictures, but most of all I love spending time with my family and friends.”

Q: “What is your current employer and what is your professional life like?”
A: “I have been working for the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory as a software quality engineer for over three years. I joined the Army (active duty) out of high school and am a Gulf War veteran. I went to school for my undergraduate using my GI Bill® and college fund at Central Washington University where I earned my bachelor’s in science with a specialization in community health. From there, I was a chemical dependency counselor for adults and adolescents for almost four years until I had an opportunity to start at a small software startup company as a software quality engineer and have been in this career now for 13 years.”

Q: “What was your motivation for pursuing your degree?”
A: “I’ve always been passionate about leadership and wanted to learn about the business side of things as I’ve been very technical in my past. I came to the conclusion that an MBA with organizational leadership concentration was a perfect fit for me.”

Q: “How did you learn about Norwich?”
A: “I learned about Norwich after much research online. I read great reviews which included people admitting that it was quite a challenge, but very rewarding. I wanted to earn a degree from a reputable institution and learn during the process.”

Q: “What do you think makes Norwich unique?”
A: “I think the history of Norwich makes it unique, as well as the residency week program for graduate students. I love that Norwich is the first private military school because I am passionately patriotic.”

Q: “How have you grown personally or professionally as a result of your education?”
A: “I’ve grown in so many different ways. Professionally, I see the organization as a whole in a completely different light and feel confident in helping to lead people as needed. Personally, I have proven to myself that I can accomplish anything I set my mind to. The Army did this for me, but that was a very long time ago, so it’s nice to be reminded that I can still empower myself to be a better person.” 

Q: “Please tell us about any examples where you were able to put your knowledge to work immediately at your job.”
A: “I have been able to apply my leadership classes to a recent change initiative and learned so many valuable things in the process. It really made the experience more rewarding as I understood more about how and why as an individual I resist change even when I know it’s needed.”

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.