Online classes reach student in Iraq

If there is an award for the longest commute to school, Glen Berquist would definitely win.

Berquist is a student in the graduate nursing program who worked on his degree while serving with the U.S. Navy in Baghdad, Iraq.

Two years ago Berquist searched for a university that offered a master’s program in nursing that could be completed online. He narrowed his search down to The University of Texas at Tyler and The University of Southern Florida.

Nursing student Glen Berquist has been working on his master’s degree while serving in Iraq with U.S. Navy. Photo by Christy Grant

“I needed to complete my degree online and had to plan for what if something happened and I couldn’t make it to school,” Berquist said.

He is stationed at the Randolph Air Force base in San Antonio.

“The fact that UT Tyler has 100 percent online program persuaded my decision,” Berquist said.

Berquist enrolled in UT Tyler’s nurse educator program in January 2008. In March 2008, he headed to Iraq for a year.

He worked on his master’s degree while being stationed in Iraq by using the technology the military provided.

“Coursework worked out great because in the military we were allowed to use the computers for our education,” Berquist said. “The Internet service that the military has is overall pretty efficient, I have on my screen what you have at home.”

Being on active duty in a foreign country makes it difficult to receive a degree online, but Berquist said soldiers are accomplishing this task from DeVry and other online universities.

“Some start working on it during down time. It’s nice to come back and achieve goals,” he said. “The military helps you achieve your goals.”

Berquist, originally from Massillon, Ohio, said he didn’t know what he wanted to do after graduating from high school. He joined the military in 1992, unsure of whether the military route suited him.

“I thought that there may be a possibility to work on a dairy farm the rest of my life, but figured I needed a little more job security,” Berquist said. “A year later I found myself at Kent State University.”

He received his first bachelor’s degree in Aero Space Flight Technology from Kent State University in 1984. After graduating, Berquist served time in the U.S. Marine Corps before transferring to the Navy to attend flight school, earning his wings in January 1992.

Berquist said he returned home after the Navy and tried to get a job with the airlines, but at the time they stopped hiring and started laying people off.

“I needed some type of job that was long term basis,” Berquist said. “I worked in several different fields and the one that interested me was nursing.”

Berquist returned to Kent State University where he got his second bachelor’s degree in science and nursing in 1995.

“My mom was a nurse so that was some impact,” Berquist said. “She always had nice things to say about nursing.”

He is currently in Tyler working on his clinical hours by evaluating the teachers and preparing test questions for future nursing students.

Berquist said he plans to graduate and get a job working for a university as a clinical nursing instructor.

“By fall 2010, I would like to actually be an instructor at University of Alabama in Huntsville, but we shall see,” Berquist said.

Berquist said good things about the faculty and staff at UT Tyler, and believes that the nursing school has a great group of teachers.

“I am 100 percent happy and seriously don’t think I could have picked a better school,” Berquist said.

By Sarah Martin Contributing writer