A ceremony of great pride took place on June 15, 2009 in Athens, Georgia. Greg obtained his Associate Degree in Automotive Technology.The milestone he has reached enabled him to find a job this summer – something that many of his peers have not been able to do. He is working at Akins Ford, a large dealership in Athens and enjoying every minute of it.
This fall he will be continuing his studies toward a more advanced degree in Business Administration. Greg will eventually have an education that will prepare him for either a blue collar or a white collar career – something that may prove invaluable in these tough economic times since it is difficult to outsource automotive repair to India or Taiwan.
While talking about all of the activities associated with graduation, we suddenly realized that Greg is the first member of our family to achieve a degree beyond high school. His dad went to OSU for 2 ½ years. His grandfather was drafted into WW II while a senior and came back to finish in Buffalo, WV. His grandmother graduated from Point Pleasant High School and immediately went to work in Columbus, Ohio. None of Greg's great-grandparents were fortunate enough to have had a high school degree - a luxury that many, if not most, could not afford in those days - especially in the hills of West Virginia.
Just writing this made me realize how important it is these days to have a more advanced education. Doors do not open in today's world as easily as they have opened in the past when it was possible to have a successful career built by on-the-job training, hard work, and above average achievement.
Congratulations, Greg, for achieving this milestone. Our entire family is very proud of you!
