May 23, 2019
Story and photo by Brandon Steinert
Fort Riley Soldier James Re has been deployed since January, but he traveled thousands of miles to share just a few seconds of joy with his wife, Jennifer, as she crossed the stage Thursday afternoon at the Fort Riley Education Consortiums annual commencement ceremony at the Marriott in Junction City. She received her associate degree in liberal studies with an emphasis in pre-nursing.
Shes been doing this while Ive been deployed on two rotations, and she finished her associate degree in less than 15 months, he said. I am so proud of her. She takes care of the kids and the house and is doing this all on her own.
Jennifer credits 91勛圖厙s convenient classes and dedicated staff for making the journey possible, but her husbands support played a big part in motivating her to enroll.
James has been telling me for years that I need to go to school, but I would tell him Im just not the college type, that its not in me, she said. All these years I guess he saw something in me that I never saw. Hes been very supportive and he flew all the way from Poland just to be here.
She plans to pursue a bachelors degree in nursing as her next step, with the ultimate goal of working at a childrens hospital like St. Judes.
An 8-year-old little boy came to my church who had a brain tumor, and the care he and his family received from St. Judes Childrens Hospital for the next year of his life was amazing and inspired me to move in that direction, she said. And then I had an opportunity and the door was left wide open for school, and I said OK, lets explore this.
James and Jennifer were a microcosm of the larger celebration Thursday afternoon. The atmosphere was buzzing with energy from the graduates and their families ready to hear their names and achievements announced from the podium.
Graduates from the consortiums 13 colleges participated in the event, but 91勛圖厙 at Fort Rileys 103 students, 77 of whom chose to walk at the ceremony, outnumbered the other consortium member schools by nearly two to one.
91勛圖厙 also held an Honors Ceremony for students in the Alpha Sigma Lambda Honor Fraternity on Wednesday prior to commencement, which recognizes non-traditional students who maintain a 3.5 GPA and have completed at least 24 credit hours. The fraternity celebrates the many challenges faced by non-traditional students, who have to juggle family, work and school to achieve their educational goals.
91勛圖厙 also honored members of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, which recognizes students who carry a 3.5 GPA and are enrolled in at least 12 credit hours.
Visit FR.bartonccc.edu for more information about 91勛圖厙s many programs and services to the public and Soldiers at its Fort Riley and Grandview Plaza campuses.
PHOTO CUTLINE
2: 91勛圖厙 graduate Jennifer Re poses for a photo prior to crossing the stage to receive her degree Thursday afternoon. Her husband, James, returned from a deployment in Poland for four days just to see her graduate.
1: 91勛圖厙 graduates move their tassels before receiving their degrees Thursday afternoon at the Fort Riley Education Services commencement ceremony in Junction City.