It takes
hard work and determination
Army officer to finish his degree at a distance
Tom Hutt at a
promotion. . . "This was the first time I was promoted with my family
present," said Hutt.
Hutt has two more classes to take in order to complete his MSA degree.
From Thomas Hutt
Naples, Italy
I must take a moment before I begin writing about my experiences with CMU, to praise the work of my brothers and sisters in arms who are currently in harm’s way around the world. For those of you who don’t know a soldier, I commend them to you as dedicated and caring professionals. . . .
It’s hard to believe that my association with Central Michigan University started so many years ago. It must be some kind of record for working on a master’s degree. When my wife, Rusty and I were newly married and stationed in Fort Polk, Louisiana we decided it was time to move forward with our education. It was either that or take-up mud bug (crawfish) hunting. The upside to going back to school was that we could do it together. At that time I was working at the Joint Readiness Training Center, one of the big training centers for the Army, and working insane hours. Since classes were all day Saturday and Sunday, every other weekend, I would often get off of work and meet my wife at class.
Our next assignment took us to Fort Rucker, Alabama and I took a hiatus from school while my wife pressed ahead and earned her degree in Special Education. Four years later, we found ourselves in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas where I attended an Army school. Because I was back in an academic environment, it seemed like a good time to reenergize on my degree. The CMU counselor managed to keep a straight face as I told him about my extended study break and managed to set up a plan for me to finish off my degree.
Several classes and many weekends later, I started MSA 685 in preparation for writing my final project and grabbing the golden ring. Unfortunately, the Army had a slightly different plan in mind. I finished the class just in time to pack up the family and move to Fort Campbell, Kentucky – home of the 101
st Airborne Division (Air Assault). Ten days after arriving, I was off for a series of exercises and again my degree took a back burner.Days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into 3 more years. To be truthful and place credit where it belongs, I had really given up on finishing my degree. My wife pushed me when I needed it and went so far as to contact CMU to find out what I would have to do to finish. Surprisingly, she told me that I only needed four classes and my final project to complete the degree.
This is how I came into contact with CMU’s distance learning program. With encouragement from some of the great personnel working at CMU, I decided to take the plunge yet again and I am now only two weeks from completing my first two classes. Frankly, I am amazed at the quality and fidelity of the two classes. As a computer learning skeptic, I am now convinced that this is an effective and efficient way for people to pursue a degree while simultaneously keeping up with careers and other demands. I am equally impressed with my fellow students who have a wide variety of backgrounds, experiences, and insights into the subjects of the classes.
I look forward to working through my final two classes and can’t wait to receive my second master’s degree. I think my first degree – in procrastination – was done years ago. Someone will send me the certificate when they get around to it. My association with CMU has been extremely rewarding. I commend all of my instructors, past and present, the counselors, and the administration of the University who have helped me in innumerable ways.