- Student; Online (Military)
Master Chief Petty Officer Lawrence "Mike" Riccitiello knew he needed a college degree to launch a second career. The U.S. Navy officer worried that more than 25 years after graduating from high school, he might not be up to the task.
"I wasn't the most stellar student in high school, and I was a little apprehensive," Mike says. "It was a big step, going to college."
Mike, who is enrolled in the online Business Studies program with a concentration in Organizational Leadership, says his academic advisor suggested that he pair his classes by level of difficulty.
"She gave me great recommendations to make sure I was successful," he says.
Taking an easier class and a more challenging one at the same time made sense.
"I surprised myself, in a good way," Mike says. "Sometimes, it was a stretch. Sometimes, I was apprehensive. But I got A's and B's."
Mike says he struggled with composition and history, until he connected with the subject matter on a personal level.
"There were things I'd been involved in that I saw in the history books; Desert Storm, 9-11," he says. "I liked reading about the people who made the big decisions."
Now, he's anticipating his own new chapter in life.
"I want to get into a company and not start at the very, very bottom," he says. "You take 30 years in the Navy, the highest enlisted rank, leadership, and discipline. You add in the knowledge from a college education, and there's the competitive edge for the second career."
