Story and photo by Joe Vinduska
This spring, Army veteran Hannah Ewert of Texas earned her associate degree from Barton Community College at Fort Leavenworth and is now ready to look toward her future.
“I really want to work in law enforcement or corrections because while in the Army, my military operating specialty (MOS) was a corrections specialist, so it is easy to continue on that path, but I also have the desire to work as an addiction counselor because I have seen firsthand the effects that drugs have on people so I would like to help others,” she said.
Ewert said Barton’s ability to accommodate her schedule as part of a military family made it possible for her to work on her education and continue to care for her children.
“I love how Barton offers online and Zoom classes because my kids are still young, and when they are out of school, I am still able to take classes,” she said.
Ewert took advantage of Barton’s LSEC classes which are available to active-duty soldiers and their dependents as well as any Department of Defense employees on base. Her experience in the military was also helpful in achieving her goal of graduating because time served can equal credit hours towards a degree as well.
“With my military transcript, I only had to take certain required classes within my field of study because a lot of my electives were completed through my military experience,” she said.
Ewert plans to take a break from education to focus on her family but said her experience at Barton energized her desire to learn.
“Barton has been great, and the instructors are very encouraging and make the learning experience so enjoyable,” she said.
Visit FL.bartonccc.edu for more information about Barton’s many programs and services to the public, soldiers, and their families.