Colorado Tech Online Students and Alumni
Meet Gregory Scott Todd
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
Even with 21 years of military experience on a bomb squad in the United States Air Force, Gregory "Scott" Todd hit an obstacle in transition from the military to the private sector that has become all too familiar with many job seekers. "I was in a situation that is the opposite of college graduates. Instead of being told, 'it is great you have a degree, but you need experience for this position,' I was told, 'you have all the experience needed, but this position requires a degree.'" Thanks to the United States Air Force and Colorado Tech Online, Scott overcame that obstacle.
According to Scott, "Bachelor's degrees today are like high school diplomas were in the past. You need one to advance in almost any profession, regardless of your knowledge and experience. Throughout my career in the Air Force, education was promoted as a means of keeping a sharp mind and staying ahead of technological changes. I continually stress the importance of education to my children for personal growth and to keep pace with life changes. I chose to lead them by example and began looking into continuing my education."
After retirement from the military, Scott relied on his experience to land a position in contracted security for the U.S. government, but was also looking forward to spending more time with his family. Although continuing his education was a goal he never lost sight of, achieving that goal required the flexibility that online learning can offer. "After having spent a lot of time away from my family, I wanted to find an educational situation that was conducive to my family life as well as my work schedule. That is why I began researching online universities. Along with the flexibility to attend school according to my schedule, I wanted to find a university with a good reputation that has a ground campus as well as an online program, one that could potentially recognize my prior credits from courses I had taken while in the military and one that offered a degree program in criminal justice. Colorado Tech Online met all my criteria, but what made it stand out for me was the project-based learning approach used at Colorado Tech Online. I have always been a hands-on learner, and I feel that approach is more appropriate in the criminal justice field where experience in handling certain situations is more important than knowledge of theories. I felt Colorado Tech Online was the perfect fit for me."
Colorado Tech Online turned out to be the right choice for Scott. Not only did he become the first one in his family to earn a college degree, he graduated Summa Cum Laude with a 3.97 grade point average. "I attribute my success at Colorado Tech Online to several factors. The flexibility of online learning and the recorded archives of live class sessions enabled me to listen to all my classes despite my busy schedule. The staff at Colorado Tech Online provided excellent support and was always available to answer questions. The interactive, hands-on learning environment allowed me to apply my experience to the assignments and learn from the real-world experience that my instructors brought to the virtual classroom. I really enjoyed Colorado Tech Online."
Scott feels the degree he earned through Colorado Tech Online helped him advance in his profession. After he earned his BSCJ degree, he was hired as a Security Manager at Maxim Integrated Products and is responsible for security at two plants. "Almost everything I did in my projects at Colorado Tech Online I do in my current position. We once had a bomb threat at one of our plants and I was tasked to do a power point presentation about responding to bomb threats. I had the same scenario in one of my projects at Colorado Tech Online! Thanks to that I was able use my knowledge and experience to put together a very professional presentation."
Some of the concepts Scott learned in his courses through Colorado Tech Online have also helped him in his profession. One of his responsibilities in his profession is the investigation of internal crimes against the company such as corporate espionage. "A poorly done investigation in which an interjected opinion clouds the facts can ultimately cost the company a lot of money. The course I took through Colorado Tech in investigations helped me improve my techniques by teaching me how to set my prejudices aside, stay neutral and just look at the facts."
Scott's educational achievements and success have been an inspiration not only to him, but to his family as well. "I have always had high expectations for myself and my children. Being a first generation college graduate has set an example and prompted others in my family to continue their education. Having seen me come home from a busy day at work and go right to my studies has inspired my son to want to attend college. My short term goal is to continue to advance in my career while my wife works on getting her degree. After that I would like to enroll in a Master's degree program through Colorado Tech Online. I would recommend Colorado Tech Online to anyone."
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