Michael Jones got to know The University of Baltimore before he became a student.
After 20 years in the U.S. Army, he worked at the nearby Fifth Regiment Armory and frequently walked past campus on his lunch breaks. It became familiar and comfortable, and he was even able to build a quick rapport with staff once he applied. It made for an easy choice when he decided to pursue a bachelor’s degree.
Michael enrolled in UBalt’s Merrick School of Business as a business administration student with a specialization in human resources.
“It felt comfortable, and I felt at home,” he said. “It's something that fit, like trying on shoes, it just fit.”
Michael completed his degree in fall 2024, and decided to continue at UBalt, this time pursing an MBA specializing in Leadership and Management Development.
When Michael graduated from high school, he started college at another Maryland institution that had a vastly different atmosphere from the rigid high school experience he knew. On his own, he struggled with going to class and started running out of money. He needed a new plan.
No one in Michael’s family had joined the military, but he saw it as a way to pay for his education when he was ready.
“My thought initially was I'll go in for three years, get the money and then finish my school,” he said. “Before I knew it, I was at 20 years. Initially, I didn’t like it. I thought, this isn't for me. But every day I was in, the easier it got, so I stuck with it.”
The experience changed Michael, and he appreciated seeing how much he grew through it. Around the 17-year mark in his military career, he was deployed to Afghanistan.
“I had my preconceived ideas of Afghanistan but that was an eye-opening experience, meeting the people and stuff like that. You realize that they're just like us. They just want to work, support their family and go home. We're more the same than not.”
An opportunity to travel to Vietnam with Merrick School of Business during a global field experience reinforced that idea, and further added to his world perspective. He called the opportunity “an enlightening experience that showed me their rich history, vibrant culture and fast-tracking innovation.”
Gaining that new perspective and building a tight relationship with the group he deployed with gave Michael what he considered the best experience of his time in service. He was ready to move on.
One of Michael’s jobs in the Army included human resources administrative work. He enjoyed the tasks and wanted to channel what he learned into a career in human relations.
Michael decided to transfer the credits he had into the University of Baltimore. With his military experience, he doesn’t think he needs a degree to get a job, but he wanted one.
“I come from a family where nobody has a degree, not my mother, my father, grandparents, brother, nobody in my circle, nobody has a degree still to this day,” Michael said. “So, it was important for me to be the person that breaks that. Getting a degree was something I felt was important, not just for myself, but to show everyone else around me that, if he can do it, I can do it.”