Colorado Tech Online Students and Alumni
Meet Joseph Hatfield Jr.
MSM with a concentration in Business Management
The Best Satisfaction can be Proving them Wrong
Back in high school, a counselor told Joseph Hatfield that "he wasn't college material and he should not even consider trade school as an option." That statement stuck with him throughout his life and Joseph has pushed himself academically throughout the years to prove just how wrong this counselor really was. In August, 2006, 60-year-old Joseph Hatfield graduated from Colorado Technical University with a Master of Science in Management with a concentration in Business Management.
Having always wanted to earn a Master's degree, Joseph just didn't have the time to attend a traditional university. As this is a common dilemma for the working adult population, an online university seemed to be a perfect fit for him. Out of all the universities Joseph researched, Colorado Tech Online best fit his needs. So, he enrolled and hasn't regretted his decision since. "I compared online universities to traditional schools and Colorado Tech Online won out. The convenience led me to choose Colorado Tech Online. While other schools offered the program I wanted, Colorado Tech Online seemed to present their degree programs in a better format that made more sense to me. The Admissions Advisors were pleasant and didn't push or pressure and it was an overall great experience!"
Joseph is proud to say that he earned better grades at Colorado Tech Online than he ever has in his lifetime. "The instructors were the best I've ever had. Even in the most difficult courses, the instructors were always accessible to me either by email or their office phone." Joseph also found there was "a lot of interaction with the other students. The ease of interaction with classmates all over the world on group projects, via internet chats and sometimes even conference calls really added to my learning experience."
Joseph also learned the importance of meeting deadlines and asking questions while attending Colorado Tech Online. "You have to meet your deadlines. You have to be reliable for your fellow classmates and group members. I learned how to interact and work in a team environment. Now I'm not afraid to step up and ask questions and I learned there are no stupid questions in learning." In fact, Joseph emphasizes to his son the importance of asking questions in your classes to gain complete understanding.
To utilize his new Master of Science in Management, Joseph hopes to get more involved in the business end of things with his current employer, Total Home Health Inc., a 35 year old company that has grown from being a small company to over 75 employees and still growing by leaps and bounds. Joseph has spent most of his career working as a respiratory therapist in hospital and homecare situations. In fact, Joseph served for three years as a medic in the United States Army in Frankfurt, Germany during the Viet Nam conflict. Being a respiratory therapist, he has always worked in a hospital setting and was not familiar with the business end of things. With his project management and other newly acquired management and business skills, Joseph feels he will be a well-rounded business person and an asset to his employer and can now easily take on more business management related responsibilities. In fact, he's looking forward to it!
Joseph will miss being a student at Colorado Tech Online. "It was exciting, challenging, and I received a very satisfying sense of accomplishment from the entire experience. When my diploma arrived, I was like a little kid showing off a new toy. I still have it in my briefcase, and I show it to anyone I can corner. Someday, I will frame it and hang it on my trophy wall. I certainly have proven my high school counselor wrong!"
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