Taking Charge

Your Education, Your Career, Your Life

Karen Mitchell Smith

© 2008 TSTC Publishing

ISBN 978-1-934302-30-9

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or any portion thereof in any
form. Requests for such permissions should be addressed to:

TSTC Publishing
Texas State Technical College Waco
3801 Campus Drive
Waco, Texas 76705

http://publishing.tstc.edu/

Publisher: Mark Long

Project manager: Grace Arsiaga
Printing production: Bill Evridge
Cover design: Callie Trueblood

Manufactured in the United States of America

First edition
In memory of my parents, who believed in my writing and taught me
that education was the key to achieving my dreams.

Gail Mitchell 1924-2008

Kathryn Mitchell 1926-2007
Acknowledgements
I’d like to thank the many people who have contributed to the formation of this book:
Mark Long, my publisher; Todd Glasscock, who edited it; Katelyn Foster, Rachel Baldwin,
Jennifer Bui and Whitney Farr, the Baylor editorial interns who helped with research; Callie
Trueblood, the TSTC graphics intern who designed the cover; and Grace Arsiaga who
designed the interior. I so appreciate all of your help. I’d also like to thank my family for their
patience and understanding during my long hours at the computer.

Karen Mitchell Smith

 TAKING CHARGE: Your Education, Your Career, Your Life vii

Table of Contents
Chapter One – Charting Your Future...........................................................................................1
I. Personal Goals—Success Starts with You..................................................................... 2
II. Educational Goals—The Path to Your Future................................................................ 4
III. Professional Goals—Achieving Your Dreams.............................................................. 6
TSTC Success Story: Elton Stuckly, Jr............................................................................ 10
Chapter Exercises........................................................................................................... 12
Additional Resources....................................................................................................... 13
Chapter Two – Taking Control................................................................................................... 15
I. Personal Time Management......................................................................................... 15
II. Educational Time Management................................................................................... 18
III. Professional Time Management................................................................................. 20
TSTC Success Story: Dave Thomas............................................................................... 23
Chapter Exercises........................................................................................................... 25
Additional Resources....................................................................................................... 26
Chapter Three – Handling Your Money Wisely........................................................................ 29
I. Financing Your Life....................................................................................................... 29
II. Financing Your Education............................................................................................ 38
III. Professional Financial Management.......................................................................... 40
TSTC Success Story: Glen Milam................................................................................... 45
Chapter Exercises........................................................................................................... 47
Additional Resources....................................................................................................... 48
Chapter Four – Better Safe Than Sorry.................................................................................... 59
I. Guarding Your Health................................................................................................... 59
II. Play It Safe At School.................................................................................................. 63
III. On the Job Safety....................................................................................................... 66
TSTC Success Story: Sean Buth.................................................................................... 70
Chapter Exercises........................................................................................................... 71
Additional Resources....................................................................................................... 73
viii TAKING CHARGE: Your Education, Your Career, Your Life

Chapter Five – Critical Thinking............................................................................................... 75

I. Thinking Critically in Your Personal Life....................................................................... 75
II.Critical Thinking in Education....................................................................................... 83
III. Critical Thinking for Your Career................................................................................. 86
TSTC Success Story: Randy Wooten............................................................................. 90
Chapter Exercises........................................................................................................... 92
Additional Resources....................................................................................................... 93
Chapter Six – Research............................................................................................................. 95
I. Research In Your Personal Life.................................................................................... 95
II. Research in Your Educational Career......................................................................... 99
III. Research in Your Professional Career..................................................................... 102
TSTC Success Story: Linda Shaw................................................................................ 106
Chapter Exercises......................................................................................................... 107
Additional Resources..................................................................................................... 108
Chapter Seven – Organizing Your Records & Documentation............................................ 111
I. Personal Record Keeping........................................................................................... 111
II. Educational Success Through Effective Documentation........................................... 118
III. Getting It “Write” in Your Professional Life................................................................ 122
TSTC Success Story: Kelly Spencer............................................................................. 127
Chapter Exercises......................................................................................................... 129
Additional Resources..................................................................................................... 130
Chapter Eight – “May I Have Your Attention Please . . . This is a Test!”............................. 133
I. Making the Grade in Your Personal Life..................................................................... 133
II. Making the Grade in Your Educational Life............................................................... 138
III. Making the Grade in Your Professional Life............................................................. 141
TSTC Success Story: Larry Davis................................................................................. 145
Chapter Exercises......................................................................................................... 147
Additional Resources..................................................................................................... 148
Chapter Nine – What Are You Talking About?....................................................................... 151
I. Everyday Personal Communication........................................................................... 151
II. Better Communication for Educational Success ...................................................... 156
 TAKING CHARGE: Your Education, Your Career, Your Life ix

III. Interpersonal Communication on the Job . .............................................................. 160

TSTC Success Story: Mike Reeser............................................................................... 165
Chapter Exercises......................................................................................................... 167
Additional Resources..................................................................................................... 168
Chapter Ten – Writing It Down................................................................................................ 169
I. Using Written Communication for Personal Purposes............................................... 169
II. Writing Your Way to Success in College.................................................................... 173
III. Writing on the Job..................................................................................................... 180
TSTC Success Story: Jan Osburn................................................................................. 186
Chapter Exercises......................................................................................................... 187
Additional Resources..................................................................................................... 188
Chapter Eleven – Diversity, Tolerance and Respect............................................................. 191
I. Appreciating Diversity and Practicing Tolerance in Your Personal Life....................... 191
II. Diversity on Campus................................................................................................. 193
III. The Diverse, Non-hostile Workplace........................................................................ 196
TSTC Success Story: Rene Herbin............................................................................... 202
Chapter Exercises......................................................................................................... 203
Additional Resources..................................................................................................... 204
Chapter Twelve – Looking Back.............................................................................................. 205
I. Personal Skills............................................................................................................ 205
II. Educational Skills...................................................................................................... 210
III. Professional Skills.................................................................................................... 215
TSTC Success Story: Dr. Gilbert Leal........................................................................... 221
Chapter Exercises......................................................................................................... 223
About TSTC Publishing........................................................................................................... 225
 TAKING CHARGE: Your Education, Your Career, Your Life 

Chapter One: Charting Your Future

You are about to begin a journey. A journey that, if handled well, can take you to a place of
happiness, fulfillment and success. You may just be coming out of high school, full of hope
and excitement for your future. Or perhaps you’ve been out of school for a while, have
tried a few jobs that didn’t work out for you, and you’re nervous about getting back into the
study discipline. Whatever your situation, you’ve made a life-altering decision to put your
feet on the road to your future. So, how will you get to your future? What challenges will
you encounter along the way? Have you charted your route, or are you just striking out to
see where life takes you? The fourth century philosopher, Seneca, said, “Our plans miscarry
because they have no aim. When a man does not know what harbor he is making for, no
wind is the right wind.” The famous baseball player and coach, Yogi Berra, put it more
simply when he said, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up someplace else.”

What sets highly effective, successful people apart from those who float from job to job or
relationship to relationship, without ever really feeling satisfied and fulfilled? Goals. Setting,
reviewing and attaining goals keeps a person focused as he or she makes the journey through
life. Consider for a moment a piece of driftwood on the ocean tide. It bounces here and
there with each wave. It has no direction, no will of its own and no way of controlling its
destination. Now think about a sailboat on the same ocean. Why isn’t it bouncing around in
the same way as the driftwood? Because it has a rudder. Someone is directing that rudder
with purpose, using the boat to head in a predetermined direction to a specific harbor. If
that were not the case, the sailboat could easily run aground or end up in unsafe or even
uncharted waters.

College will offer many choices for you, like which major to choose and what courses to
select. There will be times when you must decide between having fun and taking care of
business. You will be asked to choose your priorities and, in the end, if you have made wise
decisions, you’ll hopefully have several job opportunities from which to choose. The goals
you set now, before beginning the journey, will be the rudder that directs you as you sail
toward your chosen harbor. As you grow and develop along the way, your priorities and
desires may change, so you will have to check the wind and reset your course from time to
time. But if you have made a basic map to follow, you can always go back to it and compare
where you are now to where you want to be.

This chapter will help you set goals in three areas of your life: personal, educational and
professional. As you read the chapter, keep in mind the reasons you are in college. Think
about the steps you had to complete to get here, and consider what it will take to complete
this part of your journey. Give some thought, also, to your passions, what drives you in life
and what you want to achieve. At the end of the chapter, you will have the opportunity to
write out your goals and a statement of purpose. Even after completing this course, as each
new semester begins, review your goals to check whether you are still on course and if you
might need to make some changes to your original goals.
 Chapter One: Charting Your Future

Before You Begin

As you work through this book, you will keep a journal, a ship’s log of sorts, so that you can
watch your own progress as you move toward the harbor you’ve chosen. Each chapter will
end with exercises, some to be kept privately in your journal, some to be shared with others.
Your journal needs to have four sections: Personal, Educational, Professional and Vision.
You are encouraged to review your journal as you move through this semester, checking
periodically to see whether you are on track to meet your goals and dreams. Place several
plastic sleeves that can hold photos in the Vision section. At the end of each chapter, you will
find various exercises that will require you to use your journal.

I. Personal Goals—Success Starts with You

If someone asked you how much money you hope to be making 10 years from now,
would you have an answer? Do you know what type of home you’d like to live in
or which make of car you want to drive? A good rule of thumb to remember is “if
you can’t see it, you can’t achieve it.” In other words, you need to be able to visualize
success if you want to achieve success. Coaches have athletes practice all week for
the big game, but they don’t tell them to imagine sitting on the bench, their heads
hanging down after the devastating loss to come. Instead, they have their athletes
visualize what the win will feel like and what the crowd will sound like at the final
buzzer. Now, at the beginning of your first semester, is a good time to put a specific
name to your goals. Many students say things like, “I want to be happy,” or “I
want to make good money.” But when asked, those same students can’t say what
being happy means or how much money is good money. Stating a goal in a specific
manner, like, “I want to make $40,000 a year by the second year I’m out of school,”
puts a tangible measurement on your goal so you will know when you have achieved
it. In fact, assuming you are choosing a career in which $40,000 a year is realistic, by
stating the goal in the above way you are using the acronym most often employed by
life coaches and personal success trainers:

SM A RT
Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timed

• Specific

Using the acronym SMART helps you to make goals in a way that increases
your chances of reaching them. Instead of saying, “I want to live in a big house
someday with a nice family,” try saying, “I want to live in a two-story, four-
bedroom house with my spouse and two children by the time I’m 35.” You can
visualize this goal, and when you have a specific goal that you visualize on
a regular basis, it becomes a part of who you are. Professional life and career
coaches call this technique vision casting. To make this goal even more specific,
put a picture of one similar to the style you like in the Vision section of your
journal. If you’ve got a specific car in mind that you’d like to own, add a picture
of it. Perhaps you dream of a Hawaiian vacation—put a photo of Hawaii in your
 TAKING CHARGE: Your Education, Your Career, Your Life 

book. There will be times when school is difficult, and you may question your
decision to attend. When that time comes, pull out your journal, and remind
yourself of where you want to go and what you want to accomplish.

• Measurable

Making your goals measurable means that you have certain steps associated
with achieving your goal. It helps you to see each piece of your accomplishment
individually. In the example of the two-story house above, you would be able
to measure your success the day you move into the house. Another example
of a measurable personal goal might be losing weight. If you have a total of 25
pounds to lose, you should make milestones at every five pounds, allowing
yourself to celebrate with a favorite food, or reward yourself with a purchase
or a night out. Some people set relationship goals or take steps to conquer bad
habits. Whatever you choose to work on, breaking the goal into measurable
units will build your confidence as you achieve each level. The more steps you
conquer, the more likely it is that you will tackle other difficult projects with
confidence.

• Attainable and Realistic

Making personal goals attainable and realistic will also add to your self-
confidence. Planning to lose 25 pounds might be attainable, but expecting to do
it in a month is not realistic. Students who set unrealistic or unattainable goals
set themselves up for disappointment. Always evaluate your goals to make sure
they are realistic for you. The attainable and realistic part of the SMART acronym
go hand-in-hand, so be sure to check out both halves when you set your goals.

• Timed

Stating your goals with a specific time line in mind keeps you focused as you
move toward your desired results. One of the biggest reasons New Year’s
resolutions seldom succeed is the lack of a time-specific boundary. If you
state that you want to kick a bad habit, but you don’t put a time limit on
accomplishing it, your goal lacks accountability.

Putting It Together

To make sure your goals meet all the SMART criteria, write them down and check
each against the acronym. If all the pieces aren’t there, restate the goal. Once you
have lined out your personal goals, you are ready to move on to the educational ones.
 Chapter One: Charting Your Future

II. Educational Goals—The Path to Your Future

By this time, you probably have given some very serious thought to the reasons you
want a college education. If you’re here because it seems the “right thing to do” or
because your friends are doing it, you may become disillusioned. The most successful
college students can clearly articulate their reasons for choosing their path, and they
have set specific goals that help them stay on track when class demands become
difficult.

On average, college students need to spend two hours outside of class on homework,
projects and reading assignments for every hour of in-class time. If you have a 15-
hour semester, that means you’ll be spending about 30 hours per week studying and
doing homework. While high school rewards efforts, college rewards only results.
To many students this comes as a shock. Being able to clearly state why you are in
college and what you want to accomplish during the time you are here will help
motivate you and keep you on track.

A statement of purpose, written at the beginning of your freshman year, will give
you something tangible to look at and think about when you feel tempted to give
up or slack off. Make your statement specific and be sure to include the result you
are working toward. For example, “I will complete an associate degree in aviation
maintenance technology within 24 months because I want to get a job as an A.M.
tech working at DFW Airport” makes a much stronger statement than “I want an
education so I can get a good job.” When classes become hard and teachers make
difficult demands on you, a statement of purpose helps you take hold of your rudder
and steer yourself to the harbor.

Of course, your rudder, as you may recall from earlier in this chapter, is goal setting.
For educational goals, the SMART acronym still applies, but because education
involves more difficult challenges, you may find you need help in planning. The
“Three Ps” can keep you on track: Plan, Prioritize, Persevere.

• Plan

Education is a marathon, not a sprint. While each semester lasts only a few
months, the entire process can take several years, depending on the degree you
seek. Students who look at each class individually without checking the big
picture may waste time and money on unnecessary classes. Check your college
catalog to identify which courses you need, then discuss the order in which you
should take them with your academic advisor.

Once you have formed the basis for your coursework in the upcoming
semesters, look at your personal life to see how it fits. Take into consideration
time challenges such as jobs, family obligations, social life and study time.
(Remember: two hours of studying per one hour in class.) If you already have
family obligations, such as a spouse and/or children, which require you to work
full time, you may need to consider taking fewer semester hours. Keep your
 TAKING CHARGE: Your Education, Your Career, Your Life 

academic advisor in the loop; it’s the advisor’s job to help you adjust to college
life and make decisions that set you up for success.

• Prioritize

Even though you’ve made a solid plan for your education, you will find that
many distractions arise during your college years. Everyone wants to have a
great time at college, and you should enjoy these years, but finding a balance
between study time and your social life is imperative to success. If you have the
willpower to choose studying for a test or completing a project by its due date
over that great concert you want to attend, then you are well on your way to
college success.

Many times, the distractions college students face are much more serious than
simply the temptation to have fun instead of studying. Married students often
struggle to balance classes, study time, work and family. If you are married, be
sure to include your spouse in your educational decisions. Communicate your
plans and hopes openly, and keep your spouse abreast of any changes you make
in your schedule. It helps to remember that the job you hold now will most likely not
help you achieve your dreams. In fact, you have probably chosen to attend college
so that you can get out of that job and have the career you really want. Go back
and look at the personal goals you set. Pull out your journal and look at the
pictures you placed in the Vision section. Remind yourself of why you want
the career you are majoring in. Achieving great successes in life often involves
temporary sacrifices. Have a conversation with yourself. Say, “These sacrifices
are getting me where I want to be in the long run.” The rewards you and your
family will reap when you settle into a profitable and enjoyable career far
outweigh the sacrifices you have to make now.

• Persevere

When the Spanish explorer Hernando Cortez landed in the New World in
1519, he gave the order to burn his ships to the waterline. Imagine how his men
must have felt. No retreat. No way to go home. Cortez made a statement of
total commitment to his mission in the strongest way possible. No matter what
obstacles he would face, he planned to persevere.

When you think about the future you have planned for yourself, what parts of
it do you want so badly that you would burn your ships to the waterline? It is
easy to talk big and make exciting plans, but when the days turn into weeks and
the weeks turn into months of studying, doing homework and going to class
daily, are you truly ready to make the kind of commitment it takes to graduate
college? With dropout rates over 50 percent and rising, now is the time to make
a commitment to complete your studies—no matter the odds. You’ve probably
heard the old sayings, “Winning is 90 percent mental,” and “whether you think
you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” Your mindset, your determination to be
successful in college, must be established at the outset. If you’ve already won the
 Chapter One: Charting Your Future

battle in your mind, persevering when the road is long and rough won’t be
an issue.

III. Professional Goals—Achieving Your Dreams

With two or more years of education ahead of you, it may seem early to discuss
professional goals, but actually, it’s the perfect time. If you were putting together a
jigsaw puzzle, you would keep the box in front of you, referring to the final picture
as you laid out the edges, or framework. Then you would begin to fill in toward the
middle, until the picture matched the one on the box. Consider the journey you are
on now to be like that jigsaw puzzle. You have set your personal goals that include
hopes and dreams for the future. You have set educational goals and priorities, and
you’ve charted how you will get from the first day of class to graduation. All of
those pieces join, contributing to the finished picture on the puzzle box of your life.
However, there are still some pieces missing. Most likely, you already have an idea
of the job you would like after graduation. That’s why you’ve chosen the major you
have. The question becomes, “Where do you want that career to take you?”

Perhaps you have dreams of a management position someday. Setting professional

goals now can help ensure that you don’t end up stagnated, unable to move
any higher on the pay scale. If you haven’t already done so, start by thoroughly
researching the career you are interested in. Find out how much money you can
expect to make starting out, as well as further down the road when you have more
experience. Visit www.salary.com to find out how much people in your career earn in
various cities.

Next, discover whether your career offers opportunities for advancement. Will you
need higher educational degrees to attain the position you eventually desire? Are
renewed certificates or continuing education classes required? The government Web
site www.bls.gov can help you with this research. Click on the Occupational Outlook
Handbook to search your career. Another way to find out this information is to contact
the companies you might enjoy working for. Ask to job shadow someone in the
position you desire. Job shadowing is an excellent way to discover what a career is
really like, and most companies are happy to show potential employees around.

Maybe you did much of this research before you started college, and if so,
congratulations on your wise planning. Unfortunately, the truth is that many
students randomly choose a career field, maybe because it sounds prestigious, or
they think people in that field make good money. There are those nebulous phrases
again—“good money” and “prestigious position.” Choosing a career should not
be like throwing darts at a globe to find a random vacation spot you’d like to visit
someday. You want to make certain that the path you have chosen leads to the results
you desire.

Once you have verified the potential of your career, it’s time to set goals. As you do,
refer to the SMART acronym.
 TAKING CHARGE: Your Education, Your Career, Your Life 

• Specific

Visualize yourself working in your chosen field. What are you wearing? What
kind of tools do you have and what kind of work are you doing? If possible, add
to your Vision journal by including magazine photos of people performing the
work you want to do. The more specialized you can make your journal, the more
it will become the big picture on your puzzle box. If you simply walk into your
career with no specific goals in mind, you will end up wherever it takes you. Do
you remember the driftwood from earlier in the chapter? It floats at the will of
the ocean tide, whereas the controlled sailboat moves toward a predetermined
destination. You get to choose whether you want to be driftwood in your career, or
whether you want to control the sailboat’s rudder.

• Measurable

If you decide to control the rudder, be sure to set your goals in measurable
units. “I want to enter a management training program by my third year in
the automotive field.” Being able to measure the incremental successes in your
career builds job satisfaction and self-confidence. Remember that you may have
to adjust your goals as you move through life. If you find yourself in a job that
does not advance employees the way you had first believed, it doesn’t mean you
have failed. Some things will always be out of your control. Focus on the factors
you can control and evaluate the other aspects to see whether you are willing to
live with the situation or if you need to change directions.

• Attainable and Realistic

Next, you want to make sure your professional goals are both attainable and
realistic. As stated earlier, these two work hand-in-hand. Making $50,000 a
year as a starting salary is completely attainable, but is it realistic for the career
you have chosen? While you need to set goals that stretch you, unrealistic
expectations will only bring disappointment. If the median starting salary for
your career is $40,000, that means some people start above and some people
start below that mark. Would graduating with a higher GPA move you into
the upper starting-salary range for your career? If so, you have a new goal to
work toward. Poet Robert Browning said, “A man’s reach should exceed his
grasp, or what’s a heaven for?” In other words, you should always strive for
greater accomplishments. If you set your achievement bar low, expect low
results. Reaching for higher standards will challenge and stimulate you. Still,
take a moment for a reality check so that you do not waste time working toward
something that isn’t possible for your particular career. Then, if you still want
those results, see what other options you have for attaining them. Remember,
changing course does not indicate failure. Goals should be flexible and transient
so you control them, not the other way around.
 Chapter One: Charting Your Future

• Timed

Consider whether the career you are choosing offers opportunities for
advancement. If so, set a tentative time line for reaching the various levels you
would like to achieve. For example, “In two years, I would like to enter middle
management.” Or, “Within six years, I hope to manage a design team.” When
you actually enter your career, you will probably need to adjust your time goals,
based on the reality of your actual position and the company you work for.
However, having a promotion time line in mind from the outset will keep your
forward momentum going.

Steering the Ship to Safe Harbor

Former President Ronald Reagan once said, “My philosophy of life is that if we make up our
minds what we are going to make of our lives, then work hard toward that goal, we never
lose — somehow we win out.” The wonderful thing about your future is that it is yours. No
matter how much your friends and family love you, they cannot plan your future. You have
been given the wonderful gift of opportunity as you stand at the threshold of a new career.
What you make of it, or don’t make of it, will be entirely up to you. If you make up your
mind now that you will succeed, and if you set the goals to get you there, at the end of this
short educational journey, the career you have desired will be waiting. And if you continue
with the goal-setting discipline in your career, the life you have desired can be yours, too.

Now that you know how to make a chart to the future you want, let’s take a few moments to
review. As you set your expectations, remember to check them against the SMART rule. The
“Three Ps” —plan, prioritize, and persevere—will keep you focused when distractions tempt
you. Finally, be sure to perform your due diligence, as it is called in the business world. This
means research your career. Know the facts—what does the career pay, what education is
required, are there opportunities for advancement and so on. By going through every step in
this chapter, you will find the big picture on your puzzle box comes to life as you succeed in
completing each increment.

Keep your journal close at hand, so you can refer to it when school becomes more challenging
than you had expected, or you feel the temptation to quit. Look at the pictures of the life
you want to have and remind yourself that the temporary sacrifices you make now are the
stepping-stones that lead to your chosen future.

One Final Thought

Beware of dream stealers. You may not have realized it yet, but everyone has dream stealers
in their lives. Sometimes they come disguised as people who truly love you and want only
the best for you, but who are afraid to see you try and possibly fail. People who say negative
things about your goals and plans are dream stealers. “Why would you want to major in
mechanical engineering technology? You’ve never been strong in math; it will be too hard
for you.” “None of your brothers or sisters finished college, what makes you think you
can?” Someone who hopes to spare you disappointment might make a statement like one of
these with the best of intentions, but if you believe the things others say about you, rather
 TAKING CHARGE: Your Education, Your Career, Your Life 

than believing what you say about yourself, you will be really disappointed. Life coaches
commonly tell their clients to make goals public, so friends and family can hold them
accountable. You should share many of your goals and dreams with those who care about
you, but consider that some goals should be kept private. Our well-meaning loved ones can
unknowingly plant negative seeds in our minds. When allowed to take root and grow, those
negative thought-seeds become negative actions that we unconsciously allow to sabotage our
potential accomplishments.

Other dream stealers can come in the way of distractions and poor time management, which
will be discussed in the next chapter. Writing a statement of purpose, along with strongly
defined goals, will give you strength to keep to the course when the circumstances around
you attempt to pull you away. As you face the future you will craft during your college days,
remember the words of the poet Langston Hughes, “Hold fast to dreams. For if dreams die,
life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.”
10 Chapter One: Charting Your Future

TSTC Success Story

Elton Stuckly, Jr., President, Texas State Technical College Waco

Setting goals for the future has gotten the most successful
people to the places that they are today. Elton Stuckly, Jr.,
president of Texas State Technical College Waco, is one of
those people.

Stuckly graduated from TSTC in 1975 with an associate

degree in electrical power technology. Throughout his
career he also has continued his education. He received his
bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Texas
at Tyler, and he currently is enrolled at the University of
Mary Hardin-Baylor, pursuing a doctorate in education.

Stuckly grew up on a farm with little guidance toward the

path of the professional world. Still, he knew that a degree
would give him a chance at employment and money and
to one day manage a top-notch job.

“Work and education are critical,” he said. “It expands horizons and provides opportunities
to meet new people. Education is important.”

He also believes that hard work is the key to achieving desired goals.

“What you put into it is what you get out of it,” Stuckly said. “If you don’t get out and gain
experience by working hard, it will not equal success. You have to work at everything.”

Stuckly knows firsthand what it means to work hard. He worked in electrical design for five
years and electrical maintenance and repair for seven years. Before he became president
of TSTC, he was interim president three times. While at TSTC, he also taught, served as
department chair, served as technical cluster director, and held the office of Vice President
for Student Learning. Although his new career path is far different from his previous line of
work, he thinks it’s a great fit for him.

“I thought it would be a nice change and an opportunity to give back, because so much was
given to me here at TSTC,” he said.

In addition to hard work, Stuckly believes that planning for the future and setting goals is
key to attaining success. He writes down his own personal and professional goals as well
as goals he has made for employees and team members. He sets timelines to keep track of
progress and to remind him what he wants to accomplish.

“If you don’t plan and set goals and make timelines, it’s really easy to let time slip by,” he
said. “By writing and documenting goals, it’s a constant reminder of what needs to be done.”
 TAKING CHARGE: Your Education, Your Career, Your Life 11

While Stuckly attended TSTC, his goal was to gain a skill set to be able to make a living to
support a family. Currently, his goal is to graduate with his doctorate before reaching the
age of 55.

Stuckly loves his job as president here at TSTC because he gets to visit with employees
and meet people all over Texas. He says being with people is enjoyable. He also enjoys the
challenge of the job. With the challenges he faces, it is vital for him to plan, prioritize
and persevere.

The budget, for instance, presents a constant challenge at TSTC, he said. The budget has a
master strategic plan and each department has its own two-year plan. Stuckly said it would
be impossible to meet the budget goals without planning out the needs and ambitions of the
school in the future.

Besides hard work and setting goals, there is one other thing that Stuckly believes is
important to achieving success. He said you must remember where you come from. You must
respect coworkers, and listen and work as a team, because then you will have everything
needed to make decisions.

“There are two things you have to know,” he said. “The higher up you go, the more work you
will have, and you are only as good as the people you work with.”

Profile by Katelyn Foster

12 Chapter One: Charting Your Future

Exercises

1) Review the SMART acronym in the personal goal section. Think about where
your personal life is now, compared to where you want it to be. What things do
you need to change or refocus? Be honest with yourself. After a thorough self-
evaluation, write out three to five personal goals in your journal. Be sure each one
fits every part of the SMART acronym. Choose one personal goal that you can
share aloud in class.

2) Set up the Vision section of your journal, as described in the personal goals section
of this chapter. Using photographs or magazine pictures, put representations of
the things you want to own, the places you want to go and the things you want
to achieve in the book. Be sure to have extra sleeves, as you will add to this book
throughout the semester, and perhaps on your own afterwards.

3) Class discussion: What are dream stealers? How can you be on guard for them?
Role-play a dream-stealing scene with a partner.

4) Scene suggestion: You are telling your parents (or spouse if applicable) what you
plan to major in. Your parent (or spouse) does not see this as a good fit for you and
wants you to be a lawyer instead because you argue so well. Articulate clearly to
your dream stealer why you have chosen this field and why you will be successful.
Refer to your goals or vision book for reinforcement.

5) In the educational section of your journal, write out a statement of purpose for
your college plan. Include what you are majoring in and why, what obstacles you
may encounter and how you will overcome them, and what you want to achieve
with your education. Your statement may be several bulleted points or even a
paragraph.

6) Call a company that has the type of career you are interested in pursuing. Ask to
job shadow a person who works in your specific area. Keep notes throughout your
job shadow day, paying special attention to duties you like and don’t like. Ask the
employee about advancement opportunities, typical pay scale and educational
requirements. Write a brief summary of your experience in the professional section
of your journal. Plan to share this with the instructor or the class, depending on
the instructor’s choice.
 TAKING CHARGE: Your Education, Your Career, Your Life 13

Additional Resources
Web sites

Salary.com
http://www.salary.com

Focusing on the areas of personal, small business and enterprise, Salary.com offers the tools
and resources that consumers need to improve their lives and careers to secure their future.

U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics

http://www.bls.gov

The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics provides up-to-date, accurate and
impartial statistical data about the social and ever-changing economic conditions of the
nation.

Mind Tools
http://www.mindtools.com

Mind Tools offers training and resources in the skills that are essential for an excellent career.
Articles, books and other products are available to help improve important skills such as time
management, communication skills and decision making.

University Placement Program

http://www.uppcolleges.com/html/english/universityplanning/goals.html

University Placement Program is a network of universities in the United States targeted

toward helping international students find information about studying abroad in the United
States, setting their educational goals and applying to a university.

Books

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Stephen R. Covey. 15th edition. Free Press: 2004.
 TAKING CHARGE: Your Education, Your Career, Your Life 225

TSTC Publishing
Established in 2004, TSTC Publishing is a provider of high-end technical instructional
materials and related information to institutions of higher education and private industry.
“High end” refers simultaneously to the information delivered, the various delivery formats
of that information, and the marketing of materials produced. More information about the
products and services offered by TSTC Publishing may be found at its Web site:
http://publishing.tstc.edu/.