Issue link: http://ncumarketing.uberflip.com/i/1125823
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: It is done. By Dr. Hector Avila, Jr. All my life, I have been that C-average student, barely graduating from high school. My plans of going to college were not even in my mind. I enlisted in the Army right after high school in hopes of getting away from my small town of El Paso, TX and retire at age 37 like my recruiter told me I could. Fast-forward a few years, I received a medical discharge from the Army due to a knee and back injury. At 29 and as an OIF veteran, I had no clue of what my life would become. An infantry soldier has no skills except shoot various weapons and follow orders. At this point in my life, I decided to enroll in school and have a future as I had no other choice. Business management was not my first choice. I actually wanted to be an engineer, but as a single parent working full-time and going to school at night, that goal seemed impossible. I opted to do business management and just fell in love with the field as a whole. I finished both my bachelor's and master's degrees but did not feel as I had done everything possible to the best of my abilities. I wanted to be the best, so I decided to get a doctorate degree. After reviewing many options (believe me there are plenty!), I decided that Northcentral University was the best fit for me. There are a multiple online universities that offer one class at a time through an 8-week period, but after talking to the team at Northcentral, I felt more at ease. The breakdown and explanation of what courses I would be taking and the timeframe made my decision simple. (And they gave me a military discount! Woohoo!) Was it easy? Not at all. Did I have bumps in the road? Absolutely! Did I hate it? Without a doubt! If anyone could breeze through this process, then everyone would have a doctorate degree. To be quite honest, I wanted to quit on multiple occasions. I was just not allowed to. The staff kept pushing me. Each time they pushed, I knew they actually wanted me to finish. I was so close and they did not give up on me. That speaks volumes to me. My chair was there for me through the final stages and kept pushing me to finish and now, here I am. I finished. It is those little things – pushes, words of hope and encouragement, and positive feedback – that makes me say proudly that I earned my doctorate degree at Northcentral University. For those who are thinking of a doctorate program, I highly recommend Northcentral University. If I can do it, you can too! For those of you thinking of enrolling or already enrolled, I will end with this: Father Time is still undefeated. Time passes, and it does not stop. Four to five years of your life will pass no matter what. At the end of those four to five years you can finish with a degree or not. Don't ever give up. You have various people at Northcentral who will help you succeed.