“I’m sorry to have to tell you this.”
That’s what Jonathan Grow’s supervisor told him just before explaining he would need an additional degree to be eligible for promotion at Gulfstream.
“To get to technical specialist 2, the requirement was that you had to have an electrical engineering degree,” he explained. “I was still put in for promotion without that. But they didn’t approve it. My manager called me in and said you’re going to have to get a degree in electrical engineering if you want to get promoted.”
That’s not to say that he didn’t bring a mountain of industry experience to the table.
Grow served in the Air Force, working on F-16 fighter jets for four years while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in professional aeronautics at Embry-Riddle University. He became a commercial pilot after he ended his tour of duty before working at aerospace company Lockheed Martin, during which time he also obtained an MBA from his alma mater, Embry-Riddle.
Therefore, the thought of getting another degree wasn’t exactly appealing to Grow. In fact, his first thought was ‘no.’
“No, I’ve been to school, no I’m not doing it,” he said with a laugh. “But then I went home and talked to my wife about it. And she said ‘Just do it. I’ll support you, just go do it.’”
That’s where Georgia Southern came in.
Grow needed a degree from a college endorsed by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).
Georgia Southern’s Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing is an ABET-certified school, and had the exact electrical engineering program he needed.
Gulfstream also worked with his schedule so he could devote time to his classes. Everything fell into place.
“During that time, we had a young child,” said Grow. “It was 2020. And then in 2021, we had another. My wife was pretty much having to take care of them all by herself while I was in school. That left my wife to fend for herself with the kids. So she’s had a lot to do this.”
But the job wasn’t the only reason behind these sacrifices.
“If that was the only reason, just so I could get promoted, I would’ve done an online program,” he admits. “But I wanted to actually gain skills and knowledge while being physically present and enjoy the learning experience.”
His hard work and perseverance paid off, leading him to present a thoroughly detailed and complex capstone course in electrical engineering, titled “Solid State Breakers for Residential Applications,” receiving the first place award at the Ajin Georgia Engineering Awards during the 2023 Georgia Southern Industry Expo PRO Day.
And that Gulfstream supervisor, the one who said Grow needed to go back to school to move up? He was in the crowd, proudly watching Grow receive his award.
Grow graduated summa cum laude this fall with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. He’s considering a master’s program – that is, if his wife lets him. He urges others to pursue their dreams, no matter how hard they might be.
“I didn’t catch on just like that. It took me a while,” he explains. “You’re not getting any younger. The longer you spend out of school, the more you forget. Don’t spend too much time thinking about it. Just go for it.”
