What it’s all about
Over the years our graduates have had many success stories, but every now and then one comes along that truly typifies what we are all about here at Excelsior College. I humbly present this letter from Mark E. Johnson II, EIT and class of 2009…..
Dr. Ebersole,
I am a recent graduate of Excelsior College with a BS in Nuclear Engineering Technology, and I wanted to express my gratitude for what this program has given me in my life.
I grew up in a small town in Vermont, where going to college was something very few people were able to do, and even fewer ever finished. State colleges in New England are far beyond most people’s financial reach, costing upwards of over $20,000-$40,000 a year. I was fortunate enough to go on an athletic scholarship, but due to the rigorous demands on NCAA athletes, and with my NCAA eligibility expiration after 4 years, I was unable to afford completing my 5 year engineering program. I entered into the US Naval Nuclear Power Program shortly after leaving school and served honorably in our armed forces for a number of years.
After leaving the Navy I was still without a degree and with the job market flooded with qualified candidates, I found myself returning to school to pursue my life-long dream of becoming a Professional Engineer. My area did not offer a higher education program that was conducive to this path, and just when I thought I would have to move, or give up my dreams, I found the ABET Accredited program at Excelsior College which allowed me to transfer all my credits (including my education while in the Navy) and take a step towards that dream. I graduated in 2009 from your BSNET program, studied for a solid 3 months and passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam to become a registered Engineer-In-Training (EIT). I am now on the path towards becoming a Professional Engineer and I am so thankful to you and everyone at The College for it.
The courses I took at Excelsior College were excellent and my teachers were top-notch. I felt that I had a closer relationship with my instructors at Excelsior than I did while in “traditional college” sitting in 100 person classrooms!
Thank you again for everything.
Regards,
Mark E. Johnson II, EIT
One Response to “What it’s all about”
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My resume says, "Dean of the School of Business and Technology at Excelsior College with over two decades of experience in the nuclear industry." But what makes my life meaningful is -- along with my work -- my passion for great writers like Bernard Cornwell, world travel, and cars that go very, very fast.
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