Doug Jarvis

Engineer Doug Jarvis began pursuing his M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the NTU College of Engineering and Applied Science in 1999, the same year he earned a bachelor’s in electrical engineering from Washington State University—a personal milestone. He was in his late 50s at the time.

“I first started college in 1961, but dropped out after one semester,” Jarvis says. “I came from a family where no one went to college. Back then, I needed someone who could talk to me and say, ‘Doug, quitting is a mistake.’"

Jarvis believes that many first-generation college students in his age group had similar experiences. “I dreamed of finishing my college education my whole life,” he says.

Motivation from Motorola
Graduating from Washington State University spurred Jarvis to take his engineering education further, to pursue an advanced degree. Motorola made that pursuit possible.

“Motorola has always encouraged its employees to further their educations, and NTU presented the opportunity to earn a master's degree from my own location and on my own schedule, while engaging some of the top professors in the electronics field,” Jarvis says.

He adds that several of his colleagues were seeking M.B.A.s from local universities. “But I felt I was much better served to follow the technical path. My talents and interests drew me to the hands-on design work that takes place in the development of electronic products,” he says.

Completing the Degree on His Schedule
Jarvis earned the degree slowly, like many full-time employees. “I took one class at a time, some of which were especially challenging, and there were times when I wanted to quit,” he recalls. “But my colleagues, some of whom had taken NTU courses, encouraged me to complete the program.”

Earning the master’s degree has been the fulfillment of a dream for Jarvis and has made his commitment to engineering even stronger, he says.

“I have no plans to retire,” says the 64-year-old. “I will not put my degree on the wall and say, ‘Hey, isn’t that diploma great, now I can take it easy.’

“No, I will put mine to good use in the practice of electronic design. I feel that a degree is like a tool. If you don’t use it, the knowledge and skills achieved will be diminished.”

About the Award
The NTU Outstanding Student Award honors the heritage of National Technological University (now the NTU College of Engineering and Applied Science at Walden University). It is presented annually to a graduate of the college whose student work best exemplifies academic and professional excellence.

Read about the 2006 recipient and learn more about the NTU Outstanding Student Award.

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