Of Scholarships and Military Service

[jackofallgeeks]

So, a little background. I'm a Navy Brat -- my dad graduated from the Naval Academy in Annapolis and has spent the last twenty-three years or so working in Submarines. My entire childhood was spent moving around every couple of years, and for a long while I was seriously interested in joining the Navy myself. In the end I decided I wasn't too hot on the idea of moving around my entire life, though sometimes I've rethought that choice. If nothing else, I'd be in better shape. (I'd argue that I'd hardly be the man I am today if I'd gone there rather than here -- if anything were different, everything would be different. But that's a whole 'nother consideration.)

When I came to school, I was considering an English Major. Unfortunately, my interest was in etymology and semantics, and all it seems English Majors did was analyze literature, which still leaves something of a bad taste in my mouth. So, I decided to go with a recently developed interest in Computers. I've never been one with great career-oriented ambitions, and really have only been interested in getting a Nice Job so that I might support the family I hope to have. As long as I worked with computers, I'd be happy, and I had little inclination one way or the other WHAT I did. Since this last summer, though, I've found I'm really interested in Computer Security. I did a little work with it at Davis over the summer, and I'm taking a course in it now.

This set us up for what I meant to mention earlier: I have just been pointed toward a potential scholarship for graduate school, focusing on Computer Security. If my application gets through and I make the cut, it would be two years of free tuition, plus $30,000 a year salary, an almost-guaranteed Security Clearance, and a guaranteed (read 'mandatory') job for two years after the program. It would be at the Naval Postgraduate School, in Monterey California, but it's EXACTLY what I'd be looking for -- free graduate study, a security clearance, and concentration in something I'm really interested in.

-laughs- The military may have me yet, ne?

Comments

A bit late...

[dikaiosunh.livejournal.com]

... but I think what you wanted to be was a Linguistics major.

[jackofallgeeks.livejournal.com]

I've actually heard that a couple times before, and what I've heard tends to make me think I agree. However, I wasn't aware of Linguistics as a Major, nor did any of the schools I looked at offer it, so it's a null point.

But, as it is, I do like what it is I've chosen, generally, so I'm content.