Unleashing POTENTIAL Gerard Harville, MS ’23, BA ’20 When Gerard Harville was seeking college credits for his military training, his experience with TESU did not turn out as predicted. While searching for a university that fit his professional objectives in 2018, one criterion kept floating to the top of Gerard Harville’s list: receiving credit for his military training. At the time, Harville was working as a general manager for Planet Fitness and spending one weekend a month performing intelligence and technology work for the New Jersey Air National Guard at McGuire Air Force Base. “I got to the point where I had to choose between doing intel full time or being a general manager. After doing some research, I chose intel.” That choice led Harville to a full-time position as an intelligence analyst with the U.S. Air Force. and the opportunity to utilize his previously earned associate degrees — one in digital communication and media from Raritan Valley Community College in New Jersey and another in intelligence studies and technology from the Community College of the Air Force. He had also accrued college credit equivalents for his military training. Those sources provided valuable steppingstones, and he recognized TESU as the institution that would bring all the elements together. “I wanted to focus on a discipline, but I didn’t want to start from scratch,” noted Harville. “I was looking for schools in New Jersey that provided tuition assistance and worked best with my professional schedule. I was already familiar with Thomas Edison as it was recognized for its military friendliness by the Air National Guard.”
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