As Veterans Day approaches, we would like to humbly extend our gratitude to all members of the UMGC family who have served our country in the military.
“We’re honored to count every one of you as a member of our community, and we are grateful for your contributions, both to our university and our nation,” says UMGC Associate Vice President of Alumni Relations Nikki Sandoval.
Here, we celebrate five outstanding UMGC veteran alumni who are making their mark, both in and out of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Andre Taylor ‘23
Bachelor of Science in Management of Information Systems
U.S. Army
Andre Taylor learned about the importance of education at a young age.
“When I was 12 years old, a guidance counselor said, ‘You can be anything you want to be in the United States — as long as you go to college.’ From that age, I was determined to become a graduate,” says Taylor.
Unfortunately, education felt out of reach due to the cost. Instead of enrolling in college right away, he enlisted in the U.S. Army after high school. Through his service, he was exposed to other universities that felt like diploma mills. It was only after he was deployed to Afghanistan that he connected with UMGC, and he decided to enroll because of its history supporting members of the military.
A first-generation college graduate, Andre earned two bachelor’s degrees and a certificate from UMGC and is considering earning his master’s. He received a scholarship for Veterans in STEM after his G.I. Bill benefits were exhausted. Today, Andre Taylor is a network engineer with Booz Allen Hamilton.
He hopes his story will demonstrate to others that education can become a reality for them, too.
“What [earning my degree] means to me is being able to show my nieces and nephews and those in the generation under me that anything they believe or dream to achieve is possible,” he says. “I hope [my story] is a message to even people that I'm not related to in underserved communities that just because you're the first, doesn't mean you have to be the last. And just because no one came before you, doesn't mean that it's impossible.”
Charlene Wilde ’23
Master of Business Administration
U.S. Army and Military Spouse
After six years of serving as a chemical officer in the U.S. Army, it seemed natural that Charlene Wilde would pursue a degree in that field. Soon after earning a master’s degree in environmental science, though, she decided to take a career break to spend time with her kids.
Wilde is also a military spouse, and she enjoyed being a full-time parent for more than a decade. However, at age 40, she decided to return to the workforce and start a new career, a prospect she found intimidating.
“I realized that in order to be successful, I needed to evaluate my peers and look at what education and certifications they had,” she says.
She decided that earning an MBA would be the best path forward. It wasn’t easy. She had a full-time job and was also raising her children while her husband was deployed. She realized that online classes were her best option, so she turned to UMGC. Although it was challenging juggling her many roles, earning her MBA helped her achieve her career goals. With her newfound confidence and professional credentials, she was promoted to the senior vice president position at her organization.
“I am the only female officer in our company with almost all male executives, so earning my degree made me not so intimidated by all of their years of industry experience within a military organization. I have a lot more confidence now of saying, ‘I deserve to be in this room as much as you do,’ and I'm no longer afraid to speak out about different topics that I'm interested in,” she says.
Jim Payne ’10, ’13 and ’14
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Master of Business Administration , and Master of Science in Technology Management with a concentration in Program Management
U.S. Navy
Jim Payne is a passionate Navy veteran whose higher education journey began when he was serving on active duty. Although he began his degree program elsewhere, he switched to UMGC because it was the only university that allowed him to complete his degree on his own terms.
“At UMGC, I could take classes virtually anywhere I was deployed while on active duty. I could take one or two classes, and then if I had to skip a semester, I could do that,” he explains. “The advisors and faculty were more than accommodating.”
In fact, they were so supportive that he ended up earning a bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees from UMGC. A lifelong learner, he found that his education gave him the solid foundation he needed to pursue his goal of completing his Ph.D.
Working full time with four kids could be challenging, but Payne found a way to manage his time.
“If it’s important to you, you figure out how to do it,” he says. “I spent a lot of late nights and early mornings studying when my wife and kids were sleeping or before or after work. I just fit it in when I could.”
He also formed bonds with his fellow military students, veterans who supported each other through graduation day and beyond.
“Veterans tend to migrate to other veterans. It was a loosely knit group of individuals who moved through our academic journey together, which made it feel like you weren't in it alone,” he says.
Additionally, Payne contributes his time and talent as a volunteer on the 2023-2025 UMGC Alumni Advisory Board. Through this role, he provides valuable insights to help shape future alumni programming and benefits to UMGC’s global alumni community of more than 301,000 strong and growing.
Kristina Reyes ’23
Bachelor of Science in Social Science with a Minor in Diversity Awareness
U.S. Air Force
Kristina Reyes grew up in a military family, with her dad earning his citizenship from the U.S. Navy after immigrating from the Philippines. She decided to serve, herself, and joined the U.S. Air Force where she first encountered UMGC.
She enrolled at the university and began to work toward a bachelor’s degree, but she decided to take a break after she was honorably discharged from the Air Force and joined the civilian sector. Twenty years later, she returned to school to finish what she started.
It was her dad who had initially encouraged her to get her degree. “Unfortunately, he did not live to see me graduate, but his inspiration lives on. I want to continue to make him, my children and my husband proud,” she says.
Returning to school was easier than she expected. She was able to transfer her records from other institutions where she had taken classes, and her other accomplishments also counted for something.
“Your past work/life experience, as well as military experience, is added onto your transcripts. That's something that UMGC really takes value in,” she says.
Thanks to the support of her professors and her classmates, Reyes thrived in school and ultimately earned her bachelor’s degree in 2023.
“Not only were the people in my class rooting for me, but the staff was also rooting for me, and I would get emails from the professors who were also rooting for me,” she says. “They always work with you in your lifestyle, and most of them come and check on you. It wasn't just, ‘I'm your professor; you're my student.’ It was beyond that, and it's been a very positive experience.”
Delroy Burton ’24
Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies
U.S. Marine Corps Reserves
Growing up, Delroy Burton took a different path than his three siblings who graduated from college right after high school. Instead, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves after one year of taking university classes, and he later joined the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department.
During his 25-year police career, he worked in patrol and vice investigation, then as a detective and patrol supervisor, and eventually as a labor representative with his union. It was only after retiring in 2019 that he decided to follow in the footsteps of his family members and complete his degree.
“My siblings are really, really good students. They were in humanities programs – top-notch students,” he says. “After I retired, I started thinking about the things I should do, and one of the things I told my mom is that one of these days, I would finish.”
He chose UMGC because of its reputation as an accredited state school along with its pioneering work with veteran and active duty servicemembers. With his extensive experience in justice and law, a bachelor’s in legal studies aligned perfectly with his interests.
He was inspired by his fellow classmates, who ranged from young adults straight out of high school to people like him who had already enjoyed fulfilling careers. He especially bonded with fellow members of the military community looking to enhance their skillsets and get ahead.
He was surprised by how proud he was of this accomplishment when graduation came around.
“[My degree] provided great personal satisfaction. If I was not already retired and was looking to advance my career, accomplishing this educational goal would be a stepping-stone to greater opportunities,” he insists.
Earning his degree not only fulfilled the promise he made to his mother, but it also allowed him to set an example for his daughters.
“I am married and the proud father of two beautiful girls,” he says. “I am most proud of my children and being able to set the example of completing my education.”
Throughout the month, read more alumni news for stories of members of the UMGC military and veterans communities making a difference both personally and professionally.