To prepare himself for a career after the military, Perry Collins decided that he would earn a four-year degree by the age of 50. He succeeded in this. One month shy of his fiftieth birthday, Perry graduated from the EXCEL Program with a bachelor’s degree in organizational management.
Why EXCEL? Two reasons.
First, Huntington University’s reputation for quality education and high standards appealed to him. Second, he was intrigued by EXCEL’s assurance of a degree in 18 months, assuming he met all requirements.
“Going into EXCEL, I knew that I could pass if I applied myself,” he says. “But as I went through the program, I found that I could actually achieve academic success. For example, I had always believed I had writing ability, but that belief was affirmed by doctoral-level EXCEL professors. That made a big difference in my life.”
So did this: “EXCEL made me a better listener. I look at others’ positions before making a decision. It’s made a good difference in my marriage and in my work.”
Perry’s EXCEL Business Research Project made a positive difference in his community, too. He focused on environmental problems at an abandoned business site in his home community, Roanoke, Indiana. Perry proposed how to eliminate the abandoned eyesore and the environmental hazard it represented.
“My paper sorted out the rumors and compiled facts so that others could step in and make the cleanup happen,” he says. Today, the site has been rehabilitated, its soil treated and underground gas tanks removed. Soon the land where the old factory stood will be returned to the tax base.
“I’m glad EXCEL doesn’t resist challenge,” says Perry, named Citizen of the Year by the Roanoke Chamber of Commerce. “Challenge is what adults need.”