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After his discharge from the U.S. Army in June, Austin Hubble enrolled at Dalton State with the intention of getting a few of his core courses out of the way.
But now the 25-year-old psychology major is thinking seriously about completing his education here, and may pursue a degree in business administration on route to a career in advertising or marketing.
“I’ve been completely impressed with the curriculum here,” says Hubble, whose five-year tour of duty included stints in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“I really like the smaller class sizes, and the tuition is great. The town is nice as well. It reminds me of where I grew up.”
A North Carolinian, Hubble spent his childhood playing sports in Roanoke Rapids, near the Virginia border.
“I was recruited to play soccer at UNC Wilmington, but had an injury the fall of my freshman year,” says Hubble, who dropped out of school the following semester when he realized he wasn’t quite ready to settle down.
“I knew that I wanted to go back to college at some point, but the best way I knew to do that was to go on the GI Bill.” |
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Hubble was first sent to Ft. Sill, Oklahoma, and spent time in training at Ft. Huachuca and Ft. Benning before joining the 82nd Airborne Divsion at Ft. Bragg. His first overseas deployment was to Afghanistan in 2002, and in 2004, he was sent to Iraq. While there, Hubble spent six months paroling the main route that connects Baghdad to Kuwait City. His final deployment was another year in Afghanistan in 2005-2006. He considers himself “very fortunate” to have escaped injury or serious warfare.
The experience of having served his country has made Hubble, in his words, “a little more worldly.”
“Being in the military gave me a lot more focus and more appreciation for my life here,” he says. “I learned a little about other cultures. But the main thing it gave me was the time to grow up a little bit and realize what’s really important to me.”
And the experience of reentering school a few years after a five-year hiatus has also been very rewarding.“
Coming to school is so much nicer this time around,” says Hubble. “I focus on what the alternative is, and I try to soak up everything I can. The professors have been great. In every class so far I’ve learned so much.”
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