Family man pursues education through Georgia Military College
Grady Wilson, 42, pursuing bachelor of applied science degree from GMC
By Jennifer Parks
ALBANY — A student who is receiving his education at the Georgia Military College campus in Albany, based at the Albany Technical College Manufacturing Technology Center, is working to prove that it is not too late for parents to further their education.
With 15 campuses across the state, GMC has offered two-year associate’s degree programs to students in the past, but has since added four-year program options where students can earn bachelor of applied science degrees designed to enhance the occupational and technical education provided by an associate of applied science or associate of applied technology degree program.
Where the AAS or AAT degree prepares students in technical disciplines, GMC’s BAS degree programs are designed to prepare students for career advancement opportunities and supervisory and management roles in their technical or occupational field. That’s one of the reasons GMC-Albany student Grady Wilson is pursuing his bachelor of applied science degree online.
“By the time I graduated from Albany Tech, this program opened up, and it was an easy transition,” Wilson said. “I heard good things (about GMC from my friends).”
Wilson enrolled at Albany Tech, earning two associate’s degrees in business logistics management and operations management when he graduated in 2013. A contractor equipment specialist for light tactical vehicles at Marine Corps Logistics Base-Albany, the 42-year-old decided to further his education by obtaining a bachelor of applied science degree at GMC’s Albany campus.
“I got my associate’s degrees at Albany Tech and decided I couldn’t quit,” Wilson said. “I’ll talk (the future) over with the wife (after I graduate) because she wants to go back to school.”
Wilson is currently on track to earn his degree in May of 2019, after which he says he hopes to eventually be able to move into a civil service position.
“We are thrilled to have Grady as GMC Albany’s first student in the BAS Supply Chain Management and Logistics program,” GMC Extension Center Director Melanie King said. “The BAS degree is a great fit for Grady’s goal of career advancement with his current employer, the Marine Corps Logistics Base.
“As the director of GMC Albany, I am excited to offer the BAS programming and believe members of our community will benefit in the job market from completion of this degree. Employers can expect our BAS graduates will have the management and supervisory skills needed to successfully contribute to a stronger work force for our community.”
It wasn’t just furthering his career that made Wilson go back to school. His youngest son is on the autism spectrum and has Tourette’s syndrome. Wilson said he wanted to show his son that even the most difficult of achievements are possible.
Many doubted he would achieve success when he was younger.
“My sixth-grade English teacher told me I would be in jail by the time I was 18,” he said. “She is still around, so I may go and see her.”
While he does want to land a permanent civil service job at MCLB-Albany, Wilson said it can be difficult to get a position like that without prior military experience. If that doesn’t work out, he says he’ll use his degree to further his career, whether it be at the base or in another related field.
Apart from the fact that he is a father of three, the program Wilson is in now is challenging in that it moves at a faster pace than what he was accustomed to. That means a greater degree of focus and time management is required. When his oldest son is doing homework, Wilson is often sitting at the table with him doing his.
So far, Wilson said the experience is going well for him, and he said he hopes advancement opportunities and job security will follow after he graduates.
“It shows my kids it is good to have free time, but good to get your stuff done first,” he said.
A history available on the institution states GMC was established by the General Assembly in Milledgeville on Oct. 14, 1879, and adopted its current name in 1900. There were 14,343 students enrolled for the 2016-17 academic year, representing 38 states and 21 nations. There were 1,622 graduates in the Class of 2017, with 1,721 degrees awarded.
For more information on GMC, visit www.gmc.edu.
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