When I joined the Marine Corps in 1995, military service became a way of life for me.
Over the years, I had amassed an enormous service resume with many of the armed forces notorious combat units. I deployed to Afghanistan with the 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Light Infantry Division while serving in the U.S. Army. I was an educator, an instructor of Air Defense Artillery at the U.S. Army’s Fires Center of Excellence at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. My first military skill was as an Engineer in the U.S. Marine Corps 3rd Division Engineers at Okinawa, Japan, and then later with the 2nd Division Landing Support Battalion at Camp Lejeune, NC.
The Defense Department doesn’t closely track how many troops have served in multiple branches of the armed forces, but it’s a pretty exclusive club. According to the defense department, within the past 10 years, more than 2 million U.S. troops have deployed overseas, and of those approximately only 41,000 had served in more than one branch.
I am very proud of my military achievements, and especially for having the opportunity to serve this great nation. But today, I serve my country in a different capacity. I retired from active military service in December 2014. The inevitable dangers of a violent lifestyle had finally caught up with me.
I was suddenly thrust into developing a new way of life. My retirement plans would take me back into the classroom to finally earn my college degree. That initial plan included earning my degree through the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
In the Fall of 2014, I was all set to begin my new college plan. But, things financially went wrong just a few days before starting and I was forced to rethink my plans. The disappointment set me back a full year and, at the age of 44, I knew my time was precious. I needed to begin working on my degree to fully transition into civilian life. You see, there just aren’t that many jobs hiring with a resume full of combat skills.
My next plan took me to a college fair in Charlotte, NC. While there, I spoke with many colleges. But, at the end of the day, it was Catawba College who was willing to look at me as a person, and not just another dollar sign.
I was finally back on track towards success. I started my first semester at Catawba College in the Fall of 2015. I am now working through my third semester, with just three more to go. The sheer fact that Catawba College views me for who I am, and not as a dollar sign, says a lot. Catawba College is equipped to handle my every need. I did not leave two decades of military service unscathed. I left service with some baggage, PTSD, a broken back and a broken neck, and severe long-term memory loss from a traumatic brain injury.
At my age, and especially with the extra baggage that I now carry, some days are definitely more trying than other days for me. However, because of the great staff at Catawba College such as Dr. Corriher, professor of German, my memory issues have improved significantly. Trust me, it is not easy learning a foreign language while suffering from memory loss, but Professor Dr. Corriher’s talents are perfectly suited for the task.
My time at Catawba College has been both rewarding and spent wisely. I have learned that by combining my military problem-solving talents, along with my leadership traits and human behavioral experiences, that I could effectively apply them to a new business venture, a new career. Catawba College Professor Wittum introduced the career path of public relations to me through her Journalism perspective. Public relations intrigued me immediately, and I set out on a path to make it my next career in life. Today, I am the proud owner of Outstory Public Relations Group. It is a modern public relations agency, one that serves businesses and well-known persons in solving their problems.
That achievement alone was a feat beyond any in comparison for me, because, I always thought of myself as being grammar illiterate. The tremendous writing and grammar help provided by Dr. Fuller, professor of English, was instrumental in helping me realize that my true writing talents just lay dormant.
There is no doubt in my mind today that I am at the right College. Life does throw many curve balls at us, and no matter what baggage we carry, the desire to achieve our goals is just a good college away. Thank you, Catawba College.
[This article is featured in the Fall 2016 Print Edition of the Catawba Pioneer.]
