Coast Guard Retiree Docks at LCCC to Continue His Education Toward a New Career
Sometimes we’re not in total control of our lives, especially citizens in the armed forces.
Just ask Doug Bankston. He and his wife Sandie moved around the country many times during his 20 years in the Coast Guard. “Multiple times I had to drop classes due to an unexpected deployment or transfer across the country,” Bankston remembers.
That never deterred him, however, from finally completing his degree. And complete it he did at LCCC. He’ll graduate this May with an associate of applied science in computer maintenance and networking.
“It’s been a long run for me. From the beginning of my military career until my retirement from the military in 1996 I attend various community colleges in several different states across the country,” he said.
Bankston, of Wellington, worked for the federal government in Washington, D.C. and then the FBI in Quantico, Virginia, following his retirement from the military. After a death in his wife’s family that brought them back to Northeast Ohio (she’s originally from Westlake), the couple settled on Wellington. “We talked for years about our final home being in a quite, rural area with a good cost of living,” he said about their choice of Wellington.
He decided it was also time to finish his degree and try to start a new career in the information technology field. “I’d love to land an IT job with a local school system or law enforcement agency. I’ve served my country for many years and would like to continue my public service,” he said.
His résumé has already garnered several interviews, but those employers needed someone right away and he wasn’t finished with his degree. So he’ll re-post his résumé, he said, and keep looking for the right entry into his new field.
Bankston, who said he is “pushing 50”, encourages anyone to continue pursuing their dreams. “You’re never too old to start a career. My uncle became an anesthesiologist at the age of 60. So pursue anything you want to do,” he said.
And he has another bit of advice for those working on their college degrees; “Pursue your degree until it’s completed.”
Fortunately for Banskton he ended up in Lorain County, home to LCCC, where he could finally complete his degree. “ After some research it was obvious that Lorain County Community College was the logical choice, providing the most bang for the buck that I’ve seen in the 12 different states I’ve lived in since the 1970s,” he said.
The Bankstons’ oldest daughter is following Doug’s footsteps and is currently attending LCCC as a post secondary enrollment options students with plans to earn a bachelor degree in accounting through LCCC’s University Partnership. And their youngest daughter plans to attend LCCC and continue on to earn her bachelor of computer science and engineering through the University Partnership as well.