Huntsville Center employees Jeffery Byrd, Geordelle Charles, Jordan Miller, Contracting Directorate and Tracy Lynch, Installation Support and Programs Management Directorate recently completed their professional degrees with tuition assistance from the Army's Acquisition Tuition Assistance and the Headquarters, U.S. Army Corps of Engineer's Academic Degree Training Programs, respectively.
Both professional development programs are designed to help with the education, training and career development of the Army's military and civilian workforce.
Huntsville Center employees said they would recommend that all Huntsville Center employees consider applying for these educational assistance programs if they are interested in getting their professional degrees. Obtaining these credentials has helped them both personally and professionally.
Each graduate offers advice to prospective ADP or ATAP students at Huntsville Center.
Tracey Lynch, ADP
University of Alabama in Birmingham, Master of Science in Engineering
"I pursued Construction Engineering Management - and it wasn't easy. Although my studies were very difficult, I always had the support of the professors and fellow students in my program. Nevertheless, I remained dedicated and continued to strive for excellence. I'm very proud to achieve my goal and complete the program. I am now equipped with the knowledge and expertise needed to advance in my career."
Jordan Miller, ATAP
Florida Institute of Technology, Master of Science in Management
"I would advise those considering participation in ATAP to fully understand their purpose for pursuing higher education. If you are it doing it in order to check a box or because it seems to be in vogue, you should prepare for some very frustrating and stressful moments ahead. Personally, I value education and wanted to continue learning so that I could become a more productive member of the Corps workforce and society in general. It also gave me an opportunity to become a better problem solver.
Jeffery Byrd, ATAP
American Graduate University, Master of Science, Acquisition Management
"Overall, this was a great experience for me. I would recommend the program to anyone who wants to further their education. I found the course work very challenging at times. It took a lot of time, effort and commitment to achieve this success. Furthering my education was something that I've always wanted to do and the program gave me the tuition assistance I needed to make this happen. I worked hard and managed to graduate with a 4.0 grade point average. This was a great individual accomplishment for me that also became a valuable life lesson on excellence for my entire family."
Geordelle Charles, ATAP
Florida Institute of Technology, Masters of Science, Acquisition and Contract Management
"I highly recommend the ATAP program to everyone. This platform helped me to fund my dream of acquiring my professional degree. I'd advise potential students to be proactive with their career goals and practice good organization skills. These skills will help them manage work, school and family life when pursuing an educational goal. Lastly, they should find an area of study or field that fuels their passion and pursue it."
Although their advice is varying, all the graduates agree they have benefited from taking advantage of the tuition assistance and reaching this milestone in their careers. Lynch and Byrd said it's just another great example of how the Corps and Huntsville Center are Building Strong (employees).
All current civilian and Military Occupational Specialty 51C Non-commissioned Officer Army Acquisition, Logistics and Technology workforce members who meet the eligibility criteria can be nominated for the ATAP. In order to participate, employees must coordinate submitting their applications through their organization and the Army's Acquisition Support Center each fiscal year to compete for the available slots.
The ADP is open to all current USACE employees who are interested in receiving their undergraduate or graduate degree in a field related to the performance of their official duties. Funding is provided by Headquarters, USACE. Only a few selections are made each fiscal year and employees must be first nominated by their commands in order to be considered for the program.
For more information about the ATAP and ADP programs, contact your Directorate or Small Office training coordinator or call the Huntsville Center Business Management Office at 256-895-1115.
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