Earning a degree from hours away
Graduate Profile: Michael Lee
Michael Lee joined Governors State University (GovState) as an online student while he was actively serving in the Air Force, seeking a way to earn a degree while in active-duty.
Now a veteran and living more than five hours away from campus, Michael rarely set foot on campus, only for special occasions, like the Veterans SALUTE Induction Ceremony. Despite the distance, he dedicated himself to his studies, pursuing an Interdisciplinary Leadership doctorate in education, which he aspires to use to serve other veterans who pursue higher education.
At the moment, he's celebrating earning his doctorate degree and feeling grateful for those who supported him during his GovState journey.
GovState Newsroom: What attracted you to Governors State University?
Michael: When I started at GovState I was still active-duty Air Force and deployed in Baghdad, Iraq. It was the only program that allowed me to pursue a degree in higher education while continuing to serve, while having access to the Illinois Veterans Grant available to help cover the cost. This made GovState the right choice.
GovState Newsroom: What clubs and/or activities were you involved with?
Michael: Unfortunately, I have been doing distance education the entire time I have been a student at GovState. Bouncing between Europe, Southwest Asia, and Hawaii. Despite this, I have been able to be part of Student Veterans of America and a member of two of the honor societies offered there, SALUTE and Kappa Delta Pi at GovState.
GovState Newsroom: What song will always remind you of this time in your life?
Michael: Going to seem weird but B.Y.O.B. by System Of A Down. During the time I was studying at GovState, I was deployed to a warzone, leading 200+ people in combat across Syria and Iraq. The latter part of my education journey was while I was commanding a Squadron of 300+. Trying to understand academics and civilian style leadership techniques while in a military leadership role is chaotic.
This sound, the way it ebbs and flows with frantic energy broken up by an almost party like chorus is what getting your degree is like. You work 12-hour days, do your class work at night or early morning (because of the 6-hour time difference), while raising 4 kids- it is frantic and chaotic. But then there are these victories, you think you understand what you're doing and pass some classes, then it's like a party. Then you get hit with comprehensive exams and it is chaotic, only to turn into a happy party feeling when you pass.
Then the chaos of building up to your dissertation proposal only to have that euphoria when you pass, to realize you have the chaos of defending it now. Listen to the song and the rhythm of it. The hard chords and rapid lyrics mirror learning by firehose. Then the perfectly timed transition to "everybody going to the party" right as the chaos seems to hit critical mass is how my academic journey has felt.
GovState Newsroom: What are your dreams for your degree?
Michael: I am hoping to take my degree and change how Student Veterans Support is understood, how its programs are structured, and how public policy is used to address the student veteran's population. Like many doctoral students I picked mestudy as my topic. As a combat wounded veteran of 30 years I have often been ill prepared for higher education for multiple reasons. My dissertation and my degree have let me put academic rigor behind some of my own hypothesis as to why.
With the experience I have behind me and the academic knowledge I have now armed myself with, I believe that I can now make the changes needed to help support this underserved population. And on a personal note, my oldest daughter was going to beat me to a doctorate degree, and I could not let that happen; until she finishes her's she has to call me Dr. Dad.
GovState Newsroom: What advice would you give to current and/or future GovState students?
Michael: Bond with your cohort, I met three amazing ladies in my cohort (Dr. Abiodun Durojaye, Dr. Alexandrea Horton, and Dr. Imelda Macias) that made it possible to push through what can sometimes feel like a slog. These teammates, which I refer to as the HERO Squad, were there to keep me honest, on track with a kind word, or a swift kick in the butt. Each of us had a different method of studying, a different background in education and in our life, but together we pushed all four of us from our first class to our dissertation to graduation.
That combined with amazing professors like Dr. Matthew Cooney who has been a beacon of light in what can sometimes be a dark bleak world made these last five years amazing. That all being said, my best advice is trusting your professors. They are there for you. Don't be afraid to question or be wrong and find people in your class that bring different perspectives and strengths and tackle what is often considered an individual process as a team.