Christopher Wrubel
The faculty members were subject matter experts. Their academic and real-world experience made the courses challenging in a way that you were always bettering yourself and gaining relevant knowledge.
Q: “Tell us a bit about you – where you live, family.”
A: “I currently live in Manchester, Connecticut with my wife of 20 years, Kelly, and our son, Hunter.”
Q: “What is your current employer and briefly describe your professional life.”
A: “I am employed by Pratt & Whitney Military Engines, where I am the deputy director of logistics for the Advanced Turbine Engine Company. I work long hours, ensuring that our future engine which is being designed to re-engine the UH-60 and AH-64 fleet, is maintainable by the warfighter in any conditions. I do this by traveling the country, visiting mechanics and pilots and asking what is important to them, then feeding this information back to my engineers to incorporate their input into our design.”
Q: “What was your motivation for pursing your degree?”
A: “This was twofold. I wanted a degree for me and from a place I could be proud of. That is why I chose Norwich University. I also needed a four-year degree to advance my career, so it was a win-win.”
Q: “Why did you choose Norwich and how did you learn about it?”
A: “I have served with soldiers who had been cadets and always thought it would have been great to have earned a degree from here. As I finished my associate degree, I was searching on the Internet for the best degree completion programs and Norwich University was on the U.S. News list of best colleges. From there, it was just a phone call and an email away.”
Q: “What makes Norwich unique?”
A: “The history, coupled with the strong military connection, makes Norwich the perfect university for current and former service members. The SSDA program was icing on the cake.”
Q: “Please describe any memorable experiences with faculty members of members of your cohort.”
A: “The faculty members were subject matter experts. Their academic and real-world experience made the courses challenging in a way that you were always bettering yourself and gaining relevant knowledge. My fellow classmates brought unique thought processes to the discussions, making it my favorite learning experience.”
Q: “How have you grown personally or professionally as a result of your education?”
A: “I began using what I learned from Norwich on day one in my professional career and in turn, was promoted to a senior leadership position prior to being awarded my degree.”
Q: “Please tell us about any examples where you were able to put your knowledge to work immediately at your job.”
A: “I was able to use lessons learned from my strategic communications course immediately. In the business world, strategic communication skills are just as valuable as they were in the military.”
Q: “What aspects of your Norwich experience will you carry most strongly with you?”
A: “The strong support and hands-on teaching by the instructors always let me know I wasn’t in this alone.”
