Back to school time

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Hrair H. Palyan
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  Airmen, educators and guidance counselors who represent a wide variety of schools from across the Black Hills, attended an education fair in the Rushmore Center, Aug. 14.

The fair, hosted by Ellsworth's own Education Office, was designed to provide attendees with an opportunity to learn more about the many colleges offering courses in the area during the upcoming fall semester.

Dawn Hemming-Rich, 28th Force Support Squadron education and training section chief, organized the event and possesses four degrees including an associate degree in general studies and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management.

"We do these types of events to keep education at the forefront," Hemming-Rich said. "I can't emphasize enough how important education is. Having a degree sets an individual apart from their peers and in our current fiscal environment, staying competitive is extremely important."

Hemming-Rich explained that the military is always evolving and adapting to meet the needs of our country, and that it's crucial that Airmen do the same to ensure job security.

"Who would have thought we would have to do the DOS (date of separation) roll back," Hemming-Rich said. "A lot of people got caught in that roll back and weren't educationally prepared to walk into a job in the civilian sector. That's the reason why I keep encouraging Airmen to think about it ahead of time so that they have more options."

Kevin Johnson, Trident University representative, said the reason he enjoys visiting Ellsworth is partially due to the fact that one of his school's priorities is to cater to the unique needs of military servicemembers.

"We know that Airmen have to deal with deployments, pcsing (permanent change of station) and TDY," Johnson noted. "That's why all of our regionally accredited programs are offered online. Through that avenue, we can provide servicemembers with the flexibility they need to finish their degrees with the least amount of interruption as possible."

Airman 1st Class Jessica Gluth, 28th Civil Engineer Squadron emergency management technician, arrived at Ellsworth in April and attended the fair to find out what schools she can attend during the fall semester.

"I have prior college credits, so I'm trying to transfer my credits into a local college and finish my bachelor's degree in emergency management," said Gluth. "Furthering my education is important to me because it will help me perform better in my job. A lot of the classes you take in emergency management work hand-in-hand with my career's Air Force Instruction."

Gluth added that earning her bachelor's degree is only the beginning and that her long term goal is to earn a master degree while still enlisted in the Air Force.

"It was really nice to see all the different universities that work with the military," Gluth emphasized. "When I first got here, I had no idea how many different options I had for school, but now it feels like the hardest part's going to be picking what college to attend."

For more information about how to sign up for college courses during this fall school semester, call the base Education Office at (605) 385-2312.