Education fair showcases opportunities for AEDC, community

  • Published
  • By Shawn Jacobs
  • AEDC/PA
ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. --  Members of the military, Department of Defense (DOD) civilians, contractors and the public showed up for the third annual Arnold education fair July 15.

This was the first year the fair, which was held at the Arnold Lakeside Center (ALC), was opened up to the public.

The event began three years ago to showcase various educational opportunities that are available to the Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) work force, but it was opened up to the public this year due to popular demand, according to Dee Wolfe, education training specialist in the Arnold Education Office.

"The community asked us if there was any way they could be a part of this, and we worked the logistics through the base and Colonel [Robert] Bender and they said it wasn't a problem," Wolfe said. "We had 29 schools confirmed. It's just a venue for people to see what kinds of schools are out there and see how they could further their education and not just Googling schools randomly. They can actually talk to representatives, see what they have to offer face to face and get that connection with them."

Twelve institutions were represented at the first fair two years ago and 23 showed up last year when only AEDC employees, their spouses and dependents were invited. Wolfe said 29 schools are about the maximum the fair can accommodate due to space.

"We have some that are strictly online, some that are strictly in-residence and some that are a combination of both," she said. "The schools here offer associates, bachelor's, master's, doctorates, [and] certification programs. We have a little bit of everything for just about anybody out here."

Senior Airman Eric Ball was at the fair, meeting with a representative from American Military University (AMU), where he is pursuing a business administration degree online.

"I was just asking her a few questions about some of the different classes and my senior seminar," Airman Ball said. "I'm about halfway through my junior year right now. I was asking her some questions about some of the upper level courses."

Airman Ball said the education fairs have been very helpful to him.

"Oh, it's been great," he said. "Since I go to an online university, it's kind of nice to have the face-to-face time with a representative from the university and be able to talk to somebody and have them answer my questions."

James Tucker, who attends Coffee County Central High School in Manchester, also came by the fair to see what options might be available for him.

"I'm a junior in high school, and I need to look around at colleges and see possibly where I might go," Tucker said. "There are a lot of colleges here and there are a lot from around here, so I get to see what's here in the state.

"I'm going to get my bachelor's degree in maybe science and mathematics, maybe something in engineering. I'm not exactly sure yet."

Tucker said he heard about the fair from a friend who works at AEDC.

Cathy Delametter was at the event representing Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) in Murfreesboro.

"I have two different hats I wear," she said. "I work with the Adult Degree Completion Program, and then I also work with our Military Center. I work with all of our veterans, National Guard and returning students."

Delametter said the education fair was a good venue for her to showcase MTSU's various programs.

"It is a perfect opportunity, especially when you're talking about some military, military contractors, those sort of folks, plus I've talked to a couple of high school students who are interested in MTSU, so certainly I've got information for them, too," she said. "I try to cover everything that MTSU offers, which is a huge job."

Wolfe said the education fair is just one example of AEDC's commitment to education.

"In the Education Office, we're definitely all about educating our force: our enlisted force, our officer force and our DOD civilians," she said. "We definitely include ATA [Aerospace Testing Alliance]. Any chance to educate our work force just makes them better, well-rounded people."