For U.S. Army Capt. Paolo Briones, one clear signal revealed that Capella University was the right place for him: It was when he realized he did not have to play “the Army card.”
Briones, stationed at Ft. Bragg with the 261st Multifunctional Medical Battalion, received an assignment for duty in the field after he began his Capella master's degree program.
He reluctantly considered asking his instructors to cut him a little slack. But they beat him to it. When they discovered he was being deployed, they offered to work with him. “They appreciated my service; I appreciated their flexibility,” says Briones.
As an environmental science officer, Briones says his Capella degree pays off in unexpected ways. He accompanies troops into the field, taking samples of water and air in order to safeguard their health. ”I collect data,” he says, “but I do it through human interaction.” The big picture emerges only if he gets soldiers to open up—an ability he traces to the great experience he had in a Capella course in psychological testing. “I knew from then on that my psychology studies would have lasting effects no matter what my immediate work duties might be,” he says.
Achieving the master's degree required some flexibility on Briones's part—and some advice from Capella's academic advisors. His initial plan, a specialization in clinical psychology, was derailed by a 15-month tour of duty in Iraq, which made it impossible for him to meet the course requirement for patient contact hours. His enrollment counselors pointed him to a related degree without that requirement.
”They really talked with me and found options that matched my goals and situation,” he says.
Briones graduated from Capella while he was stationed in Iraq. He says his Capella experience has thoroughly prepared him to pursue his next goal: a doctorate.