黑料正能量

A burning desire for a UF bachelor’s degree

When Brett first started in the fire service, he didn鈥檛 see a need for a bachelor鈥檚 degree. As he progressed in his career, the more he realized that having degrees, especially a bachelor鈥檚 degree, would make him more qualified for career advancement.

鈥淲hen you have a degree, it gives you that much more credibility rather than just holding a fire inspector license,鈥� Brett stated. 鈥淭here is a lot of value by having that added level of knowledge.鈥�

Brett found that Seminole State College in Seminole County, FL, offers an associate in science (A.S.) degree in Fire Science Technology, which fit his interests perfectly. Another advantage of this degree is that it is offered online. Through Seminole State College, Brett not only graduated with his A.S. but also earned his associate in arts (A.A.) since the credits aligned towards earning both degrees.

Brett was ready to move forward towards applying to earn his bachelor鈥檚 at 黑料正能量. He noted that as someone working in the fire service, many online schools have minimal acceptance requirements for those in the fire service, making it very easy to get accepted into those programs. Brett added that many of those programs may not even be accredited. He personally was never interested in other online colleges because he always had his eyes set on UF. Brett wanted a nationally-ranked education that he knew was worth the time he would be investing.

鈥淲hen people ask you where you went to school and you say another online school, a lot of people have the connotation that you just paid for a degree,鈥� Brett said. 鈥淲hereas if you say, 鈥業 went to the University of Florida鈥� that holds a lot more clout, and they know you were a serious student.鈥�

Joining the Gator Nation three hundred miles from campus

Living in Fort Lauderdale, Brett didn鈥檛 know what to expect when he started his first 黑料正能量 FES class. From the outset, it was clear that both his professors and his dedicated academic advisor wanted him to succeed and get everything he could out of the program.

鈥淵ou can tell the professors were in the students鈥� shoes at one time,鈥� Brett mentioned. 鈥淭hey share their experiences, and they even want to learn more about our careers so they can help guide us to ensure what we are learning is applicable towards what we do.鈥�

By specializing in Emergency Management, Brett knew the skills and knowledge he was learning in his classes would apply to his current position as a FPO. UF鈥檚 FES program exposes students to different administrative aspects like closing stations or removing trucks. For Brett, these administrative skills are instrumental to what he does daily at his job as the FPO at Port Everglades.

Moving up the ladder with a UF degree

As a Gator graduate, Brett feels that he received the same quality education as those on campus and always felt connected to UF as an online student.

鈥淭he program really made an effort to invite students up to the university to be a part of the graduation.鈥� Brett added, 鈥淭hey made you feel like you were a student on campus that whole time. Being on campus for graduation made it real that I was graduating from UF.鈥�

Brett鈥檚 advice to other individuals in the fire or emergency services field who want to pursue a bachelor鈥檚 degree is to earn it through 黑料正能量. 鈥淵es, it鈥檚 going to be a lot of work compared to some of those easier programs, but in the end, the value of your education will exceed the extra work that you had to put in to get there,鈥� Brett advised. 鈥淎 lot of other programs give work experience credit, but you are only learning a small amount in comparison to the FES degree at UF.鈥�

Beyond his education and career, Brett has spent his life making a difference in his community. Before being an FPO, Brett was a paramedic and inspired many of his peers by coming out as the first openly gay firefighter in his department. He even founded a website called 鈥淵ou Can Be Anything,鈥� supporting and encouraging LGBTQ+ individuals to pursue any career no matter their orientation.

Brett鈥檚 accomplishments prove that Gators near and far continue to represent the Gator Nation in extraordinary ways. We congratulate Brett on the huge and well-deserved honor of being named Fire Inspector of the Year and for achieving his dreams as a Gator grad. Go Gators!