Veteran navigates winding road to degree completion at UW-Eau Claire

Ken and Mary Smith, graduates of UW-Eau Claire in 1970 and 1975, have long been avid supporters of the UW-Eau Claire Foundation, and were more than happy to allocate funds to support this special occasion for Oberg and his wife, Kimee, a 2018 Blugold biology graduate and veteran of the U.S. Air Force.

“Mary and I hope by helping the Obergs that they will succeed in life well enough to eventually pass along their good fortune to others in need, especially veterans,” says Ken, a U.S. Army veteran who served in the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam.

Kimee Oberg, who sent an email to the UW-Eau Claire commencement office to obtain graduation cords or a cap and gown to prepare for a celebration of her husband’s accomplishment at home, says she was taken aback by the generosity and the people behind the scenes who stepped up to lend the family a helping hand. The commencement office and the Dean of Students office spread the word and the UW-Eau Claire Foundation staff joined the cause to help the Smith’s generosity create a milestone moment for the Oberg family.

“Returning to Eau Claire for commencement is especially meaningful for our family because UWEC has been part of our story from the very beginning of our marriage and lives together,” Kimee says.

For Jacob, the in-person graduation experience helped to ground his bachelor’s degree accomplishment in a physical place with important meaning.

“This was all so great,” Jacob says. “For me, it really made it all so much more real to be here in person. Today really ingrained in my memory that I graduated from a real university, even though my degree was completed on a computer screen.”

Professional studies program meets unique needs across many demographics

When Jacob was thinking about completing a bachelor’s degree after accumulating credits through a few institutions over his military and civilian careers, Kimee strongly encouraged him to look into the professional studies program at her alma mater. She says she’s so glad he took her advice.

Because Jacob and Kimee have two young children and busy careers, finding a good online program was incredibly important. Kimee explained how both she and Jacob have attended multiple higher education institutions, and from what she has seen, “The advising available at UW-Eau Claire is superior.”

The flexibility of the professional studies degree was another important factor. Jacob says this degree not only will allow him to apply for advancement in his current job at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, but it also helped him gain acceptance to graduate school.

“Thanks to this program, I’ve been accepted to Georgetown University for a graduate degree in biohazardous threat agents and emerging infectious diseases,” Jacob says about the immediate impact of his decision to finish his bachelor’s degree.

“This degree is ideal for working professionals — we know what we need and want to learn because we are already doing what we want to do in life. It’s a solid investment,” he says.

As with other professional studies graduates at UW-Eau Claire, Jacob’s story reinforces the tremendous value of flexible and tailorable academic programs. This is especially true for post-traditional students, according to Dr. Carmen Manning, dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences, home to the professional studies program.

“We are thrilled that Jacob Oberg and his family could be present for commencement to celebrate his bachelor’s in professional studies degree in person,” Manning says.

“An outcome like this one is exactly what the professional studies degree was intended to do — offer a new pathway for students of all ages, backgrounds and locations to experience the transformative power of a Blugold education. The fact that Jacob and his wife, Kimee, are both U.S. military veterans, working professionals with a young family, supported in their travel needs by another Blugold veteran family is just the icing on this success-story cake.”

Deep gratitude in memory of a friend

As is often the case with veteran students like Jacob and Kimee, the spotlight is not exactly a comfortable place to be, but Jacob says he has been grateful for all the opportunities UW-Eau Claire has brought him, including the meaningful trip to commencement. He adds that he’s glad for the chance to thank one of his inspirations in going back to college.

“I’d like to mention a personal story that is such a strong memory for me when I think about the advantage of a college education,” Jacob says.

“I had a good friend, a high school buddy named Charlie Johnson. He completed a bachelor’s degree in engineering, and the night before his graduation, he was killed by a stray bullet in Minneapolis. I think all the time about the hard work he did, and the privilege of education some take for granted, a privilege he never got to see to its full end,” Jacob says.

“I want to dedicate this bachelor’s accomplishment to his memory as a reminder to us all that life is precious, and we should never take reaching our goals for granted.”