G.I.
EDUCATION
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
MASTER’S
AT MIZZOU
The online degree Joseph
Osmack is earning at the
University of Missouri will help
him answer his calling in life.
JOSEPH D. OSMACK, 31, wants to help
an organization contribute positively to
society by functioning at its best.
Osmack, a former Marine Corps administrative clerk, deployed to Iraq as part of
the II Marine Headquarters Group (MHG)
convoy security team. Today he’s working
on a Master of Public Affairs (MPA) degree
online through the University of Missouri’s
Truman School of Public Affairs.
“Often, organizations have a constructive intent but, for one reason or another,
ƒ”‡ǯ–ƒ„Ž‡–‘’‡”ˆ‘”‡ˆϐ‹…‹‡–Ž›ǡ‡ˆˆ‡…–‹˜‡Ž›
‘”’”‘ϐ‹–ƒ„Ž›ǡdz•ƒ…•ƒ›•ǤDz‹–‡†–‘
obtain a position that allows me to help
’—„Ž‹…ǡ’”‹˜ƒ–‡ƒ†‘Ǧ’”‘ϐ‹–‘”‰ƒ‹œƒtions accomplish their goals to greater and
‘”‡Ǧ•—•–ƒ‹‡†Ž‡˜‡Ž•Ǥdz
This can happen through managerial or
consultant roles, he says. He might even
work for the government someday.
We asked Osmack about his experience
at Mizzou, how he researched his military
‡†—…ƒ–‹‘„‡‡ϔ‹–•ƒ†•…Š‘‘Ž•ǡƒ†Š‹•
thoughts on adjusting to college life, both
on campus and online.
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO
GO BACK TO SCHOOL?
Osmack: I decided to go back to school
because I believe I’m responsible for
developing and using the talents and
abilities I’ve been given. I’m convinced
that those talents and abilities align with
‘—”Dz…ƒŽŽ‹‰dz‹Ž‹ˆ‡Ȅ™Š‹…Š™‡ƒŽ•‘—•–
†‹•…‘˜‡”Ȅ„—––Šƒ––Š‡›†‘ǯ–†‡˜‡Ž‘’
themselves. For me, for what I’d like to
do professionally, I decided that if I was
serious about maximizing my gifts and
…ƒŽŽ‹‰•Ȅƒ†ƒ„‘—–ƒ‹‰–Š‡‰”‡ƒ–‡•–
’‘•‹–‹˜‡‹’ƒ…–’‘••‹„Ž‡Ȅ‡‡†‡†–‘
continue to be diligent by obtaining a
graduate-level education.
56
G.I. JOBS | MAY 2015 | GIJOBS.COM
TRIVIA:
Favorite TV Show?
“This Old House”
Hobbies? Spending time with my wife and
kids, traveling, helping to coach my oldest
son’s basketball team, exercising, reading and
assembling our quarterly family newsletter.
Favorite sports team?
St. Louis Cardinals
Favorite word? Words are great but how about
favorite acronym? I’m going with SMEAC!
What’s in your refrigerator?
Too many kinds of salad dressing!
STUDENT VETERAN
Joseph D. Osmack
Degree: Earning Master of
Public Affairs degree online
with a graduate certificate in
Organizational Change
School: University of
Missouri’s Truman School
of Public Affairs
Undergraduate Degree:
Bachelor’s in political science
with minors in both international
affairs and Middle East studies,
University of North CarolinaWilmington, 2008
Age: 31
Military Service: Sergeant
(E-5), Marine Corps (20022006), ADSW orders for three
months in 2007
MOS: Administrative Clerk
(0151) OIF Veteran
University of Missouri
Location: Columbia, Mo.
Tuition Per Credit:
On-campus:
Undergrad, $276; Grad, $350
Online:
Undergrad, $352; Grad, $350
Degree Programs: Including
its world-famous School of
Journalism, Mizzou’s 19
colleges and schools offer
more than 300 degree
programs at the bachelor’s
through doctoral levels. Online
students can choose from
more than 90 degree and
certificate options across
many fields of study.
58
HOW DID YOU RESEARCH YOUR
MILITARY EDUCATION BENEFITS?
Osmack: This happened gradually
for me. I was fortunate enough to be
able to earn my AA degree while still
on active duty, so I learned about that
•‹†‡‘ˆ‡†—…ƒ–‹‘„‡‡ϐ‹–•ƒ––Šƒ––‹‡Ǥ
I then proceeded to obtain my undergrad after completing my enlistment,
™Š‹…Š‡š’‘•‡†‡–‘–Š‡
Šƒ’–‡”
͵Ͳ„‡‡ϐ‹–•ǤŠ‡•…Š‘‘Ž™‡––‘Šƒ†ƒ
very helpful VA rep, and she was a great
resource. Since then, I’ve been learning
ƒ„‘—––Š‡‘•–ǦͻȀͳͳ
‹ŽŽ„›–ƒŽ‹‰
with others and using both the VA website and VA call center helpdesk.
HOW DID YOU RESEARCH
WHICH SCHOOL YOU
WOULD ATTEND?
Osmack: Well, I started by establishing the key criteria that were important to me in a school. Then, I began
researching various schools and their
respective programs and graded them
according to what I was looking for. The
list grew until I thought I’d accounted
for legitimate options, without predetermining my choice. Then, I started to
rank them until I decided that the Uni˜‡”•‹–›‘ˆ‹••‘—”‹™ƒ•–Š‡„‡•–ϐ‹–ˆ‘”
me. Of course, I still had to be accepted,
but that was my research process.
DO YOU FEEL THAT YOUR
MILITARY EXPERIENCE HAS
MADE YOU A BETTER STUDENT?
Osmack: Absolutely. One of the
many reasons I decided to go into the
Marine Corps immediately following
high school graduation was that I did
not think I was yet ready for college.
However, the discipline, maturity, focus,
patience, perspective and experience
the Marine Corps gave me are things
™Š‹…Š„‡‡ϐ‹–‡‹ƒŽŽƒ”‡ƒ•‘ˆŽ‹ˆ‡Ȃ
to include education.
DID YOU HAVE ANY
DIFFICULTY ADJUSTING
TO CAMPUS CULTURE?
Osmack: While this doesn’t apply to
my graduate classes (which are entirely
online), it did apply to my undergrad
experience. Honestly, I don’t think it
™ƒ•–‘‘†‹ˆϐ‹…—Ž–‘ˆƒ–”ƒ•‹–‹‘–‘ƒ‡Ǥ
Perhaps that’s partly due to the fact
that even then, I was a nontraditional
•–—†‡–Ǥ—–•–‹ŽŽǡ–Š‹™ƒ•
prepared for the transition.
G.I. JOBS | MAY 2015 | GIJOBS.COM
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU
GIVE TO OTHER STUDENTS
TO HELP THEM ADJUST TO
CAMPUS CULTURE?
Osmack: I would encourage others
to manage their expectations. Campus
culture is different from Marine culture,
and that’s OK. People sometimes have
a tendency to get into trouble when we
start comparing one thing to another,
and doing so just isn’t always necessary
‘”„‡‡ϐ‹…‹ƒŽǤ‡ϐŽ‡š‹„Ž‡ǡƒ†ƒ’–ƒ†„‡
true to yourself. It may take some time
to adjust, but it’s doable. My experience
was that the Marine Corps does a better
job preparing people for transitions
than they sometimes get credit for.
They’ve already equipped us with so
much, and it’s sometimes just a matter
of us implementing what we’ve learned.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND
MIZZOU TO OTHER MILITARY
AND VETERAN STUDENTS?
Osmack: Without a doubt. The Veterans Center at the University of Missouri
is outstanding. Tuition is extremely
competitive (i.e., great rate for a highquality education). The programs available on campus and online are vast. The
online experience has been incredible.
It’s well-done, professional and challenging. The MPA degree, for example,
‹•†‡ϐ‹‹–‡Ž›•‘‡–Š‹‰›‘—‡ƒ”Ǥ–Š‹
veterans respect that challenge.
WHAT DID YOU DO TO PREPARE
FOR LEAVING THE MILITARY?
Osmack: Probably not quite as much
as I should have, but still, I did try to
take seriously the guidance provided
during transition programs (e.g., SEPS
and TAP). I also sought counsel from
other Marines (both current and former). Still, I admit that whether I took
full advantage of it or not, the opportunity was provided to me to get all the information I wanted prior to transitioning. The government also does a good
job of leaving many of those doors open
even after transition, so I’ve certainly
„‡‡ϐ‹–‡†ˆ”‘–Š‘•‡‘’‡†‘‘”•Ǥ