FORT IRWIN, Calif. -- Fort Irwin hosted an education fair, where approximately 20 colleges, government and service organizations assembled here, July 24.
Soldiers and family members had the chance to speak with representatives of schools that offer many academic programs online. Fabiola Hurtado de Mendoza, education coordinator with American Military University, spoke with Soldiers visiting the fair and said the university has approximately 300 students from this installation. She visits Fort Irwin once a month to be available for the school's students. The institute enrolls family members and civilians, accepts Army tuition assistance (TA), and offers more than 100 degrees -- all online.
John Valentine, director of the Education Center and host of the event, said that higher education opportunities are available while stationed here.
"Don't be afraid of education," were Valentine's words of advice to potential students. "Everybody's going to need it eventually. If you're looking for a good job, you need an education to get that good job. If you want to stay in the Army, you need that education to start moving up in rank."
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Larry Cunningham, armament technician with 699th Maintenance Company here, attended the event in search of information for his next degree. He completed his bachelor's degree online July 21 and is planning on walking the graduation stage at a satellite campus of Ashford University. At the fair, he spoke to Academy of Art University representative, Winston Earle, about a degree in photography.
Cunningham said there were some challenges in obtaining his degree, but assures young Soldiers it's possible and there is a lot of support here. For those seeking to study, he advises to be focused and set a goal. He also said to take advantage of a known work or duty schedule.
"You know your schedule no matter what job you do [and] you know where you're going to be," Cunningham said. "You know if you're going to be in 'the box' (NTC training area) a certain amount of days, you know if you're going to be out of 'the box' a couple of days. So, you can plan your education around your schedule."
The Education Center can start you on a quest for a degree while stationed at Fort Irwin. The center, at building 1020 on 3rd Street and G Street, is open Monday through Friday. Call 380-4218 for service hours or to speak with a counselor.
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