The Importance of Education by Carlton W. Kent (Retired U.S. Military)

Video Transcription
This degree that I will receive today is not about me.

The Marine Corps always tell you, that education is the key to success either in combat or peace time. Either leading Marines or leading soldiers, sailors or airmen, education is the key because you always focus on what's next and that's the way that the Marine Corps talk about education to me. That's what really got me focused on education in the Marine Corps because I knew that education was the key to anything. Education is the key to fighting the next war. Education is the key to leading. Education is the key to many things.

From the Commandant of the Marine Corps, all the way down to the lowest leader which is the small unit leader, the corporal sergeant, they understand that education is the key to success. I've been a marine, no matter if it's in combat like I said earlier because you're going to leave marines and you have to know what you're doing and education is preparing those great warriors in the Marine Corps for success on the battle field.

It could be military education or civilian education, both of those combined, you need that to go and lead warriors to the next fight.

A lot of the leaders that I know, and some of them served in the Pentagon at the same time that I served in the Pentagon, they were either graduates of Trident or they were they were attending Trident.

So when I talked to them, they had nothing but blazing comments to say about Trident, about the focus, about how they challenge you, and in the military, we're used to a challenge. You do not want to go to a school where they won't challenge you to the next level, and they told me Trident will challenge you and they have challenged me throughout this whole program.

My experience has just been amazing. Anytime that I needed something I would call Trident and right away the assistance was there. The staff, any question that I had, they would get right back with me, so Trident, they would support the students 100%. My advice to these great warriors is to continue to focus on education.

No matter if it's the military side of education or the civilian side. Because that's what's going to continue to make you a great leader and as far as me serving as the 16th Sergeant Major in the Marine Corps, that was an honor but I did not get there without the assistance of those great marines that I have served with throughout my 36 years.

I did not get there by myself. I got there because those leaders that were over me as a young marine, gave me that guidance about education, either the military education or the civilian side of education. They said push to the education because that's what's going to make you better leader, and be able to lead marines in peace time or in combat.

You may not have the time but you have to fit it in. No matter if you're in the Marine Corp or you transition out of the Marine Corp, education is a key piece for your next step. Online education for me was a must because it gives you flexibility of your time. Versus going to classroom every day, sitting in classroom because it's the same standard. I mean I was challenged the same way as when I got my undergraduate when I sit in the classroom, it was the same thing. But you were doing it a different way and you were able to manage your time by online, and my recommendation to anyone is to try the online courses because that way you can manage your time, and you're still getting challenged. It is the same curriculum that you would get as if you were going and sitting in the classroom everyday.

What's next to me is stay focused on my passion, and that's to take of people, especially the veterans that have transitioned out of the military. As you know, we got over 800,000 veterans that are unemployed right now, and we should never have not one veteran that's actually unemployed. Because, we have a moral obligation as a nation to take care of these veterans. Me and two more partners have stood up a company. Our focus is to get veterans hired in good jobs, and get their family members hired in good jobs. So that's where my focus is over the next years. It's to stay focused on taking care of the veterans that have paid their sacrifice each and every day for this nation.

And as we say in the Marine Corps, semper fidelis and congratulations to all the graduates.

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