Going to school was just a dream when Lieutenant Jeffrey Migdal enlisted in the Navy in 2002. Seventeen years later, he made that dream a reality.
“I knew I wanted to be a Naval officer,” Lieutenant Migdal said, “but to earn a commission in the Navy, you must have a bachelor’s degree.”
Eight years after enlisting, he made the first step, by earning a bachelor’s degree from SNU. Going to school on a traditional course schedule can be challenging for adult students with careers and family obligations. SNU's programs designed for adults, with options to attend one night a week or entirely online made all the difference.“SNU provided me the opportunity to not only start school, but finish it, coupled with multiple deployments,” Lieutenant Migdal said.
He made the commitment to take classes online and worked with supportive family, faculty and staff to make completing his studies a possibility. “They did everything they could to support me,” Lieutenant Migdal said.
He graduated with his bachelor’s degree in Organizational Leadership, but for him, this was only “a stepping stone, because in my career field, you need to have a master’s degree.”
While working full-time as cryptologic warfare officer, serving aboard USS MICHAEL MURPHY (DDG-112), he went back to school online for the second time and earned his MBA at SNU.
“I wanted to be an example for my children. I want them to know anything is possible if you put your mind to it,” Lieutenant Migdal said.
Going back to school allowed him to become a Naval officer, but he said it’s also allowed him to meet new people and gain a new perspective on opportunities that are available to me and those he leads.
As Lieutenant Migdal looks forward to the next chapter in his life, he has advice for anyone looking to start their education or who are in the throes of a degree program: “You have many choices in life, and it would be my hope that you never make giving up one of them.”
Lieutenant Migdal currently serves as the information warfare officer aboard USS MICHAEL MURPHY (DDG 112) stationed in Pearl Harbor, HI. During his time onboard, he completed multiple deployments. It was also during this time where he earned his MBA through SNU.
