John Samuelson

My path in higher education is different than most of my peers. I went to college directly after high school like most people, but without a clear career path in mind, I struggled in school. I transferred to a community college close to my hometown in Maryland and started working part time but I still did not know what I wanted to study. I concluded that I should not be going to school without a clear idea of what I wanted to do with my life. At twenty-one I decided to fulfill a lifelong dream and join the Army. My time in the Army was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I worked an intense job that prepared me for any obstacle that I would face in the future. Most importantly, I made lifelong friends who accepted me for who I was. My time in the Army is where I found out what I wanted to pursue as my career. I discovered the field of forestry. I knew this was a field where I could apply skills obtained in the Army, as well as learn new skills in the classroom. Finally, with a clear path of what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go, I felt that it was time to leave the Army and go back to college. I am passionate about what I am learning and am eager to get my degree and rejoin the workforce in the field of forestry.