Biggest Obstacle was Lack of Drive
Before enrolling at Fayetteville Tech, Tracy had been wanting to learn something new, but didn’t know which of his talents was strong enough to guide him towards a particular field of study. Although his 21 years in the Army had taught him plenty of new skills, he didn’t think any of them were transferable to the civilian workplace. Because of this perceived disconnect, his biggest obstacle became a lack of drive and motivation, affecting him both before and after his Army retirement at the age of 44.
Eventually, his natural skills in Information Technology started rising to the top of his thoughts. He began to explore a potential career in Information Security and Analysis, and start focusing on his future. It was not until marrying his wife, Renea, in 2014 that her support and encouragement nudged him to finally take the step towards pursuing his dreams.
It was official: Tracy was going back to school
Because of previous credits completed at another institution and funding from Montgomery and 9/11 G.I. bill benefits, Tracy’s interests and education had a good point off which to launch at Fayetteville Tech. Upon enrollment, he was paired up with a faculty advisor, Christopher Herring, who steered him towards applying that previous coursework to his chosen path in Information Security and Analysis at Fayetteville Tech. Mr. Herring supported Tracy’s gut instincts about how he could most directly meet his goals, devised a graduation roadmap, and opened doors that Tracy would have been afraid to crack, years before.
What does the future now hold for Tracy?
Like most of us, Tracy wants his eventual role to serve others in a purposeful, impactful and valuable way. Having Mr. Herring as a subject matter expert and personal mentor, Tracy has been given encouragement, information, and real-world expectations to advance him through the program, meeting his personal and professional ambitions, one by one.
Once he completes his program at Fayetteville Tech, Tracy plans to eventually pursue a higher degree, knowing that education is the key to promoting and advancing his career. Now that he embraces the value of his time spent in the infantry, he looks forward to a future position that draws upon all of his talents.
The biggest lesson Tracy has learned?
“I am not too old to learn again, and I appreciate what an education can help me achieve.”
Feeling stuck? Unmotivated? Unguided by the disconnect between your current skills and future dreams? Let Fayetteville Tech’s experienced, supportive advisors put you on the fast track to success today.
