My short-term goals are to deepen my understanding of the technologies that make up the backbone of our computer systems...namely the network. I have spent the majority of my adult life working as a network administrator and I want to continue to do that, only at a much more advanced level of efficiency and understanding. One of the things about learning is you get exposed to how much information is out there. In other words...the more you learn, the more you see how much you don't know yet. I don't want to dip my toes in the water of technology. No...I want to swim in it. I view my college studies as the Olympic-sized swimming pool that will allow me to immerse myself in the information that I need to reach my goals. My long-term career goals are to work in a job that I truly enjoy, designing and building complex and efficient networks that allow people to maximize their potentials. I picture my future self as a master tradesman of technology able to provide top-quality networking services on which people depend. And I want to share my experience and knowledge with young men and women in the IT industry so that they may learn from both my mistakes as well as my triumphs. Being an adult with years of life experience, I have developed a number of skills and traits that have proven most effective at eliminating obstacles in the way of my goals. While in the Marines, we had a saying, "Improvise, overcome, and adapt". The purpose of this mantra was to impress upon each individual Marine that the mission was priority number one. So if there was something in the way of accomplishing that mission, you were going to have to improvise a methodology to overcome those obstacles and adapt to the situation, so that you and your team would be successful. The importance of mission accomplishment was critical to everything we did as Marines and that motto of "improvise, overcome, and adapt" was repeated over and over again because it was the key to our success. Obviously, that same method can be used by anyone, and if applied in the same manner, proves just as useful to the student who has a goal of obtaining their degree, but is faced with obstacles of family and work responsibilities which demand much of his or her time. By improvising schedules and overcoming the barriers in the way, the student is able to adapt to the high demands and make sacrifices, allowing him to reach the goal of obtaining a degree.

My short-term goals are to deepen my understanding of the technologies that make up the backbone of our computer systems...namely the network. I have spent the majority of my adult life working as a network administrator and I want to continue to do that, only at a much more advanced level of efficiency and understanding. One of the things about learning is you get exposed to how much information is out there. In other words...the more you learn, the more you see how much you don't know yet. I don't want to dip my toes in the water of technology. No...I want to swim in it. I view my college studies as the Olympic-sized swimming pool that will allow me to immerse myself in the information that I need to reach my goals. My long-term career goals are to work in a job that I truly enjoy, designing and building complex and efficient networks that allow people to maximize their potentials. I picture my future self as a master tradesman of technology able to provide top-quality networking services on which people depend. And I want to share my experience and knowledge with young men and women in the IT industry so that they may learn from both my mistakes as well as my triumphs.

My interest in IT developed during the 1990s while in the Marine Corps. After serving for four years in the infantry, I made a lateral move to communications and received training as a Small Systems Computer Specialist. The training and experience I received proved useful, and I made a second lateral move to specialize my career path as an Information Assurance Technician. Upon my separation from the military, I went to work for the State of Nevada as a Network Administrator for the Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation (DETR). While working for DETR, I gained further training and experience including Cisco IOS administration, Avaya telecommunications systems, project management, and IT operations management. After 13 years at DETR, I accepted a position with the Nevada Legislature, working on their IT staff as a Senior Network Engineer. With the Legislative staff, I broadened the scope of my IT experience, working on Windows Servers, VMWare applications, and continuing to expand my knowledge of Cisco IOS administration. Having recently moved to Montana, I am currently in the job market while still working remotely for the Nevada Legislature. I want to complete my degree for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the doors that it will open for me while searching for a new career path. I have been pursuing educational interests throughout all phases of my life. After graduating from high school in 1987, I attended Jefferson Colege, a junior college in Missouri. While in the military, I furthered my education through in-seat and online courses, completing my Associate's degree in Network Security in 2005. Since that time, I have continued my education through IT training to improve my job skills and make myself a more productive and essential employee. With the expansion of online educational opportunities available to students, new and exciting possibilities have opened up for people like me. I can go to school full-time and work at my day job full-time. Granted, it won't be easy, but nothing truly worthwhile ever is. So now, while I am what many people consider middle-aged, is the perfect time for me to finish my degree, and put the icing on the cake of my career. Many of my colleagues who are my age are looking at retiring soon. I feel that my most productive years are right now. I have the wisdom that experience brings. I have the soft skills...the finesse, if you will, that many others simply never develop. And coupled with the technical skills of decades in the IT industry brings with it, makes me good at what I do. Now I just need my degree to prove it. My short-term goals are to deepen my understanding of the technologies that make up the backbone of our computer systems...namely the network. I have spent the majority of my adult life working as a network administrator and I want to continue to do that, only at a much more advanced level of efficiency and understanding. One of the things about learning is you get exposed to how much information is out there. In other words...the more you learn, the more you see how much you don't know yet. I don't want to dip my toes in the water of technology. No...I want to swim in it. I view my college studies as the Olympic-sized swimming pool that will allow me to immerse myself in the information that I need to reach my goals. My long-term career goals are to work in a job that I truly enjoy, designing and building complex and efficient networks that allow people to maximize their potentials. I picture my future self as a master tradesman of technology able to provide top-quality networking services on which people depend. And I want to share my experience and knowledge with young men and women in the IT industry so that they may learn from both my mistakes as well as my triumphs. Being an adult with years of life experience, I have developed a number of skills and traits that have proven most effective at eliminating obstacles in the way of my goals. While in the Marines, we had a saying, "Improvise, overcome, and adapt". The purpose of this mantra was to impress upon each individual Marine that the mission was priority number one. So if there was something in the way of accomplishing that mission, you were going to have to improvise a methodology to overcome those obstacles and adapt to the situation, so that you and your team would be successful. The importance of mission accomplishment was critical to everything we did as Marines and that motto of "improvise, overcome, and adapt" was repeated over and over again because it was the key to our success. Obviously, that same method can be used by anyone, and if applied in the same manner, proves just as useful to the student who has a goal of obtaining their degree, but is faced with obstacles of family and work responsibilities which demand much of his or her time. By improvising schedules and overcoming the barriers in the way, the student is able to adapt to the high demands and make sacrifices, allowing him to reach the goal of obtaining a degree.