Roger Passie
As an adolescent, born in the city of San-Fernando, of the Twin Island Nation (TIN), of Trinidad and Tobago I did not perform to my full potential in primary school. I was not focused and did not have relevant guidance (outside of school) that truly promoted education's importance.
At the end of my first semester at New York City Tech NYCT), my grades for four classes for that semester concluded with a 3.9 GPA, a significant turnaround from my teenage days. I was recruited before graduation as a draftsman by an engineer/architect company that installed marble and granite floors, concierge counters, and many other architectural works of art.
I learned a lot about drafting at the engineer/architecture company. However, it was not the best career move because it reduced the pace at which I could pursue college. I eventually earned too little income at that engineer/architect company. I could not pay for school, maintain a vehicle, and pay for my living expenses.
I evaluated my economic status and concluded the military was the best choice. I walked into the recruiting center, located at Flatbush, in Brooklyn. I went through the testing processes, contract, and swearing-in at the Military Entrance Processing Station, all within several weeks. Before I knew it, I graduated from the Army Aviation Logistics School. Hawaii, Afghanistan, Iraq, Germany, Ireland, and Japan are the places I traveled to and from as a soldier. During my travels and time in service, I never stopped working towards my personal goal of a traditional college education. School on the road is not unusual for service members. I challenge you, every thoughtful individual, to stick to the goal of graduation, immerse yourself in the subject matter, and always follow through. Remember, time management is the differentiator when enrolled in college as a student, especially facing all the challenges of a student service member.
After years of pursuing a bachelor's while on active duty, including multiple deployments to the combat zone, I finally graduated with a degree (BS) in Aviation Maintenance Management. While I was completing the capstone to fulfill the bachelor requirements, I was researching a graduate program. I reviewed several graduate majors at several renowned colleges but was drawn to the Old Dominion University, Strome College of Business (SCB).
After writing a letter to the department chair at the SCB, I had the opportunity to meet with Dr. Lynn Li. After meeting with Dr. Li, I was confident the Maritime Trade and Supply Chain Management program was best suited for me. I was excited because the program correlated well with my different aspects of my professional experience and presented limitless potential in business, management, and technology.
Graduating from the Master of Science program enabled me to compete for a strategic position in my field of aviation maintenance and logistics. In fact, I applied to the Army's Human Resource command for a broadening assignment when I was completing the last quarter of the graduate program at ODU. It is a fair assumption that my credentials from the MSCM program at ODU played a significant role in my acceptance.
I was selected for an exceptional program called Training with Industry. This program allows the participant to learn managerial and aircraft manufacturing strategies at the industry level. More so, as I moved from section to section in The Boeing Company, I was able to apply what I learned in the MS Maritime Trade and Supply Chain Management program to write and speak intelligently about global shipping with Boeing's global supply team manager. Also, economics came to life while I was assisting the Boeing CFO of IT with the Boeing delivery center Aircraft Notebook SME, and warehouse storage with Boeing's aircraft composite center managers.
The MS Maritime Trade and Supply Chain Management program's efficacy cannot be understated. I am currently on active duty at the Defense Logistics Agency in Richmond, VA. My daily responsibilities include solving supply chain problems such as product forecasting, production lead-time, administrative lead-time, assets availability, IT, and organizational communication, tasks that are more manageable now.
My practical education as an armed service member gave me the edge and a comparative advantage when representing my family, my alumni at Strome, my cohort at 151a Aviation Technicians, the Army, and my country. Remember, the future of any nation is in the book bags of its students/children.
