Kurt Curtis, Pacific Region Distribution Center’s Loss Prevention Manager, set a goal 20 years ago to earn his college degree. Although working on his degree took time and life became increasingly complicated, his perseverance and hard work eventually paid off.
“I took a break from my college studies after earning my associate degree in criminal justice to deploy to Afghanistan with the Exchange,” Curtis said. “After being away for two years, I returned and got married, relocated, had a baby, deployed to Iraq for another two-year tour, relocated three more times, and had another baby.”
Through all his life’s adventures, Curtis clearly remembers the day when he decided to go back to college.
That day came in the spring of 2020, when most children were forced to learn at home because of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. Curtis was helping his daughter, Aleksandra, with her history assignment about the midnight ride of Paul Revere, but during her lesson, he sensed that she seemed disinterested. So, he approached the lesson from a different point of view.
Curtis told her the story of Sybil Ludington, a young woman, 16, who not only conducted another midnight ride but went twice as far as Paul Revere without being apprehended by the British.
“It was one of those times when we felt a genuine bond from doing homework together. I stressed to her the value of education but more importantly, I wanted to set a good example,” Curtis said. “So, the next morning, I enrolled for classes at Central Michigan University online so I could complete what I had started years ago.”
For the next 30 months, Curtis spent hours with his nose in a book, studying.
He gives all the credit for his graduation to his family, especially his wife, Olga, for their unwavering support and sacrifices. She never complained about having to take on extra parental responsibilities or the additional financial burdens caused from him going back to school.
Curtis had the honor of being one of the commencement speakers at the 2022 Combined College Graduation ceremony at Camp Humphreys Education Center in October after earning his bachelor’s degree in Integrated Leadership in May.
“When I looked out into the graduation audience, I was proud to see my family there to celebrate this momentous occasion with me,” Curtis said. “Also, the attendance of my Exchange family from the distribution and transportation center caught me off guard and humbled me greatly.”
During his six-minute commencement speech, he talked about the spectrum of leadership styles that he has witnessed during his 28 years with the Exchange. He intends to incorporate lessons learned in the classroom and throughout his life into becoming the leader he always wanted to be.
In his closing remarks, Curtis ended his speech with a quote from Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric: “When you were made a leader, you were not given a crown; you were given a responsibility to bring out the best in others.”
Curtis will receive his master’s degree in Administrative Leadership from Central Michigan University in December 2022.
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