UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Sgt. Maj. Michelle Tyson joined the military because her father, grandfather and many of her uncles served.
“I wanted to follow in their footsteps and serve my country,” she said.
Tyson has served 25 years in the U.S. Army and recently became a Penn State grad while continuing her service.
She is one of 12 Army sergeants major who received their master’s degrees in education during the summer commencement through a fellowship program with the U.S. Army and Penn State World Campus.
A master’s degree in education
The U.S. Army Sergeants Major Fellowship program provides scholarships for up to 15 sergeants major to enroll in the online master of education in lifelong learning and adult education, which is offered in partnership with the College of Education at Penn State. Service members complete the program in one year at the Non-Commissioned Officer Leadership Center of Excellence at Fort Bliss, Texas.
When the fellows graduate, they teach the next Sergeants Major Course, which prepares the military’s future leaders with the necessary skills for success on and off the battlefield while completing college credit.
An opportunity to serve
Tyson decided to pursue a master’s degree in education after her husband, whom she served with for 20 years, retired from the military.
“The Sergeant Major Academy fellowship program was an opportunity for me to continue to serve the Army, contribute to the development of our future leaders, and pursue my education,” she said. “This has been an extremely rewarding experience. It was challenging, but I have learned so much.”
Tyson has taken distance education courses for nearly 15 years. She praised the quality of the online Penn State program.
“The instructors are welcoming, approachable and true subject matter experts,” she said.