When he lost his job four years ago, Jordan Terry knew it was time to press the reset
button. Taking the leap to revisit his education, the National Park College (NPC)
graduate turned adversity into a new beginning.
“I decided it was time for me to go back to school,” Terry said. “I had attended NPC
years before, and even though it didn’t work out for me, it was still fresh on my
brain as an option to go back,” Terry said. “My wife went there and recommended teachers
for me. I applied for scholarships, started going back to school and the rest is history.”
Back in the classroom, Terry learned of NPC’s four-year degree partnership with Southern
Arkansas University (SAU) and began feeling like a brighter future was within reach.
“I knew I wanted to do something with computer science,” Terry said. “The SAU program
was enticing to me because it was a generalized computer science program that allowed
for more career versatility and it gave me the opportunity to finish my degree without
having to move away from my job and my family. Having to relocate to Magnolia would
have been difficult on me and my family.”
Pursuing a degree while navigating the COVID-19 pandemic was a daunting task for every
student. For Terry, however, it was an opportunity to continue moving forward with
his career goals while staying close to home.
“The COVID-19 pandemic enforced the idea that remote learning was possible,” Terry
said. “Knowing I could work remotely while still being able to study online made it
possible for us to buy our house and stay in the area we are familiar with.”
With a second chance at earning his dream degree, Terry pulled out all the stops to
ensure that he excelled every step of the way.
“I strived for success,” Terry said. “I wanted to show that I was willing to put in
the work to support my family. That was one of the reasons I was burning the midnight
oil at 2 a.m. and making things harder than they needed to be. I wanted to impress
my professors and show them that not only can I do this, but I can do it well.”
With a strong support system beside him, Terry never lost sight of his goals as he
worked to reach the finish line.
“My wife, NPC computer science teacher Candace Speers-Terry, has been my biggest inspiration,”
Terry said. “Everything I do is for us and our future. That’s what keeps me going.
If we grow our family in the future, I’m confident that we have the financial foundation
to make decisions with peace of mind.”
On May 13, Terry graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science – General
as one of five members of the inaugural
SAU cohort. With a smile on his face and pep in his step, Terry will never forget
the feeling of walking across the stage.
“It’s like that feeling at the end of a movie where the credits begin to roll, but
you know there’s a sequel coming,” Terry said. “Everything is wrapped up and we’re
starting a new chapter. Having my family able to come see me and support me was a
great experience for me.”
With degree in hand, Terry is already hard at work writing the next chapter of his
story.
“I am currently looking for software development jobs while continuing to grow my
own side projects to strengthen my resume,” Terry said. “I’m really excited to see
what happens next.”
