Kevin Boyd
I was able to apply the skills that I learned and bring several large bureaucratic organizations together to reach a common goal.
Q: “Tell us a bit about yourself – your family, hobbies.”A: “I am a United States Army Infantry Officer originally from Detroit, Mississippi. Currently, my family resides in Washington, D.C., while I deploy in Egypt. My wife, Irma, is originally from Sweden and we have a 6-year-old daughter named Siri.”
Q: “What is your motivation for pursuing your degree?”A: “I have trained in several nations with their militaries and love to travel. I have lived in Jordan, Sweden, Finland, England, Canada and Mexico. Additionally, I have spent over four years in Afghanistan and was a liaison with the Paktika provincial governor of the Pakistani Army.”
Q: “Why did you choose Norwich?”A: “It’s as close to an Ivy League as you can get and be online, therefore achievable without moving and while deployed.”
Q: “What makes Norwich unique?”A: “The history and distinction.”
Q: “Have you grown personally or professionally as a result of your education?”A: “Both – My discipline to adhere to a self-paced online learning style certainly grew. Additionally, I was able to apply the skills that I learned and get several large bureaucratic organizations to come together for a common goal. That was the U.S. Army, Pennsylvania Army National Guard, City of Philadelphia, and the National Park Service.”
Q: “Please tell us about any examples where you were able to put your knowledge to work immediately in your community.”A: “The U.S. Army and the National Guard compete for funding and recruits and therefore rarely work together for community events. The City of Philadelphia and the National Park Service have fought a 27-year running court battle over Independence Mall and never worked together. Using diplomacy, I got all four organizations, as well as Drexel University, Macy’s Inc., and Boeing to work together for a celebration of the birth of the Army.”
Q: “What aspects of your Norwich experience will you carry most strongly with you?”A: “Both the historic aspects and the current trends in foreign affairs that I was profoundly ignorant about prior to Norwich.”
Q: “Anything else you would like to share with us?”A: “My next military assignment is with the Multi-National Forces & Observers (MFO) of the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty in the Sinai Peninsula.”
