MyUMUC Graduates

Brianne George Graduates from Time Manager to Student Speaker

By: Stephanie Edwards

There were times when Brianne George, the afternoon speaker for UMUC’s 2008 Adelphi Commencement, thought maybe she was fooling herself. She wondered if she would really be able to finish her degree. But now that she’s graduating in May 2008, with a Bachelor of Science in psychology, she says her studies went by a lot faster and were easier than she thought. The key, she said, was learning excellent time management skills.

As a mother of two and Air Force Sergeant, George juggled many responsibilities while pursuing her degree. But she pressed on to complete her education, even during two pregnancies, three Air Force station changes, and, more recently, while taking care of the household and children while her husband is stationed on the West Coast.

According to George, her inspiration to achieve comes from her father. Also in the Air Force, he decided to further his education later in life. By earning a degree in psychology in his mid-forties, he taught his daughter that you are never too old to seek out new opportunities. “My dad has set a standard of following dreams that make me proud to follow in his footsteps and now move on to pursue my dream,” said George.

She noted that taking online courses allowed her some extra freedoms, but it did require superb time management skills. She explained, “Staying motivated to complete my studies while traveling for work was a challenge that ultimately taught me to become an effective time manager.” George said that when she started her degree she was only able to take one to two classes at a time but, as she became better at managing her time, she was able to take three to four classes per semester.

George has already begun using her education to move her career ahead, as well as help others. She is currently a research assistant at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS), working on suicide prevention. She plans to continue her education to eventually receive a master’s and PhD, with the goal of becoming a clinical psychologist in the Air Force.

George says she is honored to be a student speaker for UMUC’s Commencement ceremony. “Getting the chance to comment on the sacrifices made by all the graduates, while recognizing the importance of this step in their lives, is a humbling experience!”

To new and prospective students, George advised, “If you are committed to your education the best thing you can do is identify your potential pitfalls in time management. Once you are aware of them you can find ways to work with or around them.” She also commented that UMUC offers truly academically challenging courses with professors that care about student success.

“The biggest thing to remember is that you gain from what you are willing to invest in your education—give your best!”