Great op-ed on what graduation means

A must read Op-Ed by David Brooks called "It's Not About You" in the New York Times on the real meaning of graduating - and it is not about "you" in spite of what most graduation speeches say.

From the Op-Ed
"The graduates are also told to pursue happiness and joy. But, of course, when you read a biography of someone you admire, it’s rarely the things that made them happy that compel your admiration. It’s the things they did to court unhappiness — the things they did that were arduous and miserable, which sometimes cost them friends and aroused hatred. It’s excellence, not happiness, that we admire most.

Finally, graduates are told to be independent-minded and to express their inner spirit. But, of course, doing your job well often means suppressing yourself. As Atul Gawande mentioned during his countercultural address last week at Harvard Medical School, being a good doctor often means being part of a team, following the rules of an institution, going down a regimented checklist."

HAZMAT Specialist to Valedictorian!

Great story over at Community College Spotlight about Army Staff Sgt. Dysha Huggins-Hodge who is the valedictorian at Anne Arundel Community College. She studied onlin in Afghanistan and earned all A's and graduated on time with her associate's degree.

She plans to earn her bachelor's in administration of justice and social work.  In her speach she said:
"Just because you are a wife or you are a mother or you are a soldier or whatever it is that you have going on in your life, it doesn't necessarily mean that you can't do more - that you can't figure it out."

Congrats to Huggins-Hodge!

Memorial Day for the Classroom

Kudos to Teach Hub for posting Memorial Day writing prompts so that students can understand why they have the day off!
http://www.teachhub.com/video-writing-prompts/cat/24/item/764

More to come on Memorial Day from around the country.

What is the value of a degree?

Georgetown University provides the analysis on the value of your degree.  So if you are thinking of leaving the military and want a career that can help you for the long haul - take a look at the results:

http://cew.georgetown.edu/whatsitworth/

"While there is a lot of variation in earnings over a lifetime, the authors find that all undergraduate majors areworth it, even taking into account the cost of college and lost earnings. However, the lifetime advantage ranges from $1,090,000 for Engineering majors to $241,000 for Education majors."

"there are some fields with virtually no unemployment: Geological and Geophysical Engineering; Military Technologies; Pharmacology, and School Student Counseling. While majors with the highest unemployment rates are in the fields of: Social Psychology (16 percent); Nuclear Engineering (11 percent); and Educational Administration and Supervision (11 percent)."

Know the facts before you invest your valuable time and money in a degree!

Free SAT/ACT Prep for Military

Military.com has a reminder that eKnowledge is donating $200 SAT/ACT Prep software to military and their extended families.  They have donated over165,000 PowerPrep programs. Go to www.eknowledge.com/MIL (there is a small $13.84 fee for shipping and handling).

This is great for military children, military spouses and Servicemembers to ensure they ge the score they need to get into the school they want.

Luck is when preparation meets opportunity - so make sure you prep for the SAT/ACT!

GI Bill: Changes to Flight Training

If you are going to use your Post 9/11 GI Bill for flight training this fall, make sure you check out the VA's GI Bill website for the latest information:

Not available under the Dependents Education Assistance program. Not available under the Post-9/11 GI Bill prior to October 1, 2011


This benefit is available for Flight Training such as:
•Rotary wing qualification
•B747-400 Qualification
•Dual Qualification
•Flight engineer

In order to qualify, you must have a private pilot's license and valid medical certification before beginning training. Payments are issued after the training is completed and the school submits information to the VA.

Flight training under Montgomery GI Bill or REAP
If you are training under the Montgomery GI Bill or REAP the VA will reimburse you for 60% of the approved charges.

Flight Training Under the Post-9/11 GI Bill
If you are in an approved flight training course you will receive your housing allowance and the books and supplies stipend. The Yellow Ribbon Program may apply for those enrolled in degree programs.

Approved Flight Training Courses
•Currently if you are training under the Post-9/11 GI Bill you can only be paid if your flight training is in a program leading to a college degree and we will pay the approved charges not to exceed the state maximums.
•Effective October 1, 2011 the following flight training reimbursement is approved under the Post-9/11 GI Bill:
◦If you are enrolled in any degree program that consists of flight training at a public Institution of Higher Learning you can be reimbursed up to the resident in-state cost of the training
◦If you are enrolled in any degree program that consists of flight training at a private Institution of Higher Learning you can be reimbursed up to the full cost of the training or $17,500 per academic year, whichever is less
◦If you are enrolled in any type of vocational flight training you can be reimbursed up to the full cost of training or $10,000 per academic year, whichever is less

That should clear it up! 

Army outlines GI Bill Benefits Transfer

Great outline on how to transfer your GI Bill education benefits.  Should be a must read for all active duty Servcie Members! They put this information because they are haivng so many problems with Servicemembers having the wrong information causing dependants to lose their benefits.

Stay informed - take a look at the link and make sure you have the right information!