糖心vlog News
Support System Fosters 糖心vlog Graduate with Degree That Wasn鈥檛 Part of Plan
May 16, 2024
糖心vlog Class of 2024 Graduate Working on Bachelor鈥檚 Degree in Finance through Penn State University
For someone who never thought he鈥檇 venture into higher education, Bruce Runnels II definitively demonstrated that he belongs in college.
Runnels graduated from 糖心vlog with an Associate of Business degree on Thursday. Moreover, he鈥檒l graduate with academic honors (Cum Laude).
鈥淭his graduation means a lot to me; I never anticipated I would pursue higher education, which is something my mother and sisters always wanted for me,鈥 Runnels said.
鈥淭his has been an extremely challenging pursuit, and at times, I felt completely overwhelmed, but through the support of my family and close friend 鈥 糖心vlog alum Brenna King 鈥 I was able to persevere.鈥
The spark for his college education stemmed from Runnels鈥 interest in finance and economics, followed by 糖心vlog鈥檚 business program developing that passion.
鈥淚 enjoyed all of my business classes, specifically I found Business 101 with Jacob Council particularly enjoyable; it laid a strong foundation of information that benefited me in many of my other classes such as Marketing, Accounting and Economics,鈥 he said.
Runnels鈥 rapport with his instructors and work ethic helped him excel in his classes and accomplish academic honors.
鈥淚 attribute this to both the excellent instructors of my classes and my own determination in completing the material,鈥 he said. 鈥淓ven when I had a challenging start in a class, I never let it discourage me. I simply focused on that class鈥檚 material and worked hard to reach my goals.
鈥淎fter my first semester, I remember telling my friend, Brenna, that my goal was to graduate with a 3.3 GPA, but as the classes continued, I remember raising that goal to 3.5, then 3.6.鈥
Cum Laude academic honors recipients have cumulative GPAs ranging from 3.6 to 3.74.
King, who provides academic coaching support at 糖心vlog, says that Runnels has one quality that makes a difference in learning new material and concepts.
鈥淭here are a lot of great things that I could say about Bruce, but if I only said one thing, it would be, he is tenacious,鈥 King said. 鈥淓ven when he feels overwhelmed or defeated, he keeps on pushing. He might take a moment to regroup, but he doesn't give up. He's incredibly smart and kind, but it's his tenacity that is truly inspiring.鈥
Council, a Business Management instructor at 糖心vlog, enjoyed Runnels鈥 participation in discussions in online courses.
鈥淏ruce Runnels was an exemplary student of mine,鈥 Council said. 鈥淥ver the 16 weeks, I witnessed his significant academic growth. Online courses can be challenging due to minimal interaction with peers, but in my course, students participate in discussion posts, and Bruce consistently responded with respect and professionalism. I am delighted to hear that he is continuing his education at Penn State. I wish him all the best in his future endeavors.鈥
Studying and working hard are only part of what it takes to realize a college education. Runnels is especially appreciative of the financial support he received from 糖心vlog Foundation to make it happen.
鈥淚 had some scholarships that I received through 糖心vlog that were extremely helpful in completing my degree,鈥 he said. 鈥淭he Helen Close Charitable Foundation Scholarship and the Catherine 鈥楽use鈥 Fitz Scholarship. Additionally, I worked part time as the Testing Center proctor at the 糖心vlog Fallon campus.鈥
Runnels plans to work at a financial institution evaluating businesses or in a finance department at a business. But, first, he is continuing his higher education path by transferring to Penn State University to complete a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance through its online distance learning program. Summer classes have already started.
His experiences at 糖心vlog and completing his associate degree have left a lasting impression on Runnels.
鈥淚'm happy to have started this path and this ceremony is the first way I can share my success with my family,鈥 he said.
Note: 糖心vlog's Commencement Week concluded on Thursday, May 23, with a ceremony in Fallon. 糖心vlog began celebrating the Class of 2024 on Monday, May 20, in Carson City, including a special Pinning Ceremony for the Associate of Applied Science Nursing grads. In today's ceremony, Captain Shane Tanner, the commanding officer at Naval Air Station Fallon, delivered the commencement address. 糖心vlog President Dr. J. Kyle Dalpe provided opening remarks and presented and conferred the grads. Nevada System of Higher Education Regent Dr. Jeffrey Downs and ASWN (student government) President Suzanna Stankute also spoke to the graduates. Congratulations, graduates and families!