John J. Baranowski
I have grown both professionally and personally. I have a much-improved grasp of history as a profession and feel very confident in my ability to teach history at the college level.
Q: “Tell us about yourself.”
A: “I have two adult sons. One is on active duty in the US Army at Fort Liberty, North Carolina. He will transition to the US Army Reserve and attend graduate school in Washington, DC. The other is attending a community college and will attend a four-year college. I have had a lifelong interest in military history. My father and uncles are all veterans of World War II. I am currently retired. I served thirty-two years in the US Army and US Army Reserve, retiring as a Colonel/O-6. I also spent thirty-one years as a Federal Government Civil Servant for the Department of the Navy.”
Q: “What was your motivation for pursuing your degree?”
A: “I have had a lifelong interest in military history. After I retired from the civil service, I wanted to pursue a master's degree that I would enjoy and would lead me to my next career as a college adjunct faculty member. I plan to pursue an adjunct faculty position at a local community college or university. I am also possibly planning to pursue my PhD in History.”
Q: “Why did you choose Norwich?”
A: “I learned about Norwich because it has one of the few master's degrees in military history in the United States. I also recently retired, so I was not interested in moving; instead, I wanted to pursue an online degree. Norwich's military history program was excellent. It was very demanding and greatly improved my writing and reading comprehension skills. I have two other master's degrees, and this one, by far, was the best program.”
Q: “Did you have any uncertainties with choosing an online program?”
A: “I was uncertain about a fully online program before I started. However, the interaction with the faculty and students has mitigated that uncertainty. The deciding factor was that I would not have to move to another location.”
Q: “What advice would you give future students enrolling in one of Norwich's online programs?”
A: “Set time aside every day to commit to the program. It is difficult to work full-time with a family and the program, but it can be done.”
Q: “What has been your biggest personal or professional success since starting your degree?”
A: “I have grown both professionally and personally. I have a much-improved grasp of history as a profession and feel very confident in my ability to teach history at the college level. I also have greatly improved both my writing skills and the ability to read and comprehend historical writing.”
Q: “What aspects of your Norwich experience will you carry most strongly with you?”
A: “The interaction with the faculty and students has been very worthwhile. The military history program has been excellent, and I am very glad I chose it.”
