Online Education at Capella University Prepares You For the 'Real World'

Source: http://www.petersons.com/distancelearning/articles.asp

In 1994, Guerin Moorman separated from active duty in the U.S. Air Force after six years of military service. He settled in Spokane, Washington, where he serves in the Air National Guard, and began to look for a "home" for the undergraduate credits he had accrued in management and technology. Moorman had taken online courses at the University of Phoenix, the University of Maryland University College, and City University. After military service he completed numerous vendor certifications. With the equivalent of over 100 college credits, Chapter 30 education benefits from active duty, and the GI bill kicker, Moorman went hunting for a university to complete his bachelor’s degree.

"I was working for a wireless Internet Service Provider from 2000 to 2001 and was laid off in March. I did a lot of small jobs to make ends meet but I knew I needed the degree to reflect where I am technically and to make more money. I didn’t want to fool around with general education courses at age 35," said Moorman.

Moorman compared Capella University and Excelsior College. "Both universities were willing to transfer my general classes and to give me credit for experience and certifications," said Moorman. "I’ve taken online courses at three online universities so I definitely had the first-hand experience to compare the schools and the enrollment processes." The personalized enrollment process distinguished Capella for Moorman.

"Capella’s enrollment process was excellent. Capella ordered my transcripts and paid for them and worked out my VA benefits—which is substantial. When you’re going to school and working full-time, you don’t have time to worry about forms and benefits. I had one point of contact at Capella who took care of the logistical issues." Moorman took a job in October working for CNSI as an IT Coordinator for the Transportation Security Administration. This administration was founded by order of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (ATSA), signed into law by President George W. Bush on November 19, 2001—following the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center Towers. One of the charters of this administration is to oversee airport security.

Moorman’s military clearance status was instrumental in this appointment. As IT Coordinator, he will support the network at Spokane International Airport and five smaller airports.

"Capella’s courses are more real-world than what I experienced in other universities. I wanted something relevant and I got it. We’re rolling out a Windows 2000 network at work with Cisco routers. Two of my Capella courses deal with the Windows 2000 server—that’s a real win-win situation," said Moorman.

Guerin Moorman is enrolled in the B.S. program in the School of Technology with a specialization in Computer Information Systems. He is married and has two teenage daughters and a 3-year old son. He plays the guitar and keyboard and is currently learning to play the Scottish Highland bagpipes.