{"678782":{"#nid":"678782","#data":{"type":"news","title":"\u2018History Nerd\u2019 Returns to Georgia Tech for Degree 40 Years After Disastrous First Try ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen Arnie Garrett first attended Georgia Tech back in 1982, seeking a computer science degree as part of a U.S. Air Force commissioning program, he hadn\u2019t even seen a computer.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt didn\u2019t go well. He left after two years with a 1.86 GPA and, as it turns out, a lot of regrets.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFollowing a career in the Air Force \u2014 then work in information technology, project management, and property management \u2014 Garrett returned to the Institute after he retired in 2022, seeking the coveted Tech degree that had eluded him all those years ago.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow, the self-professed lifelong \u201chistory nerd\u201d will don his cap and gown to receive his Bachelor of Science in History, Technology, and Science.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022When I turned 62, I learned Georgia pays tuition and fees for residents over 62. I thought, \u0027I can go back to school, and I can go back to Tech.\u0027 I\u2019ve always admired Tech and wanted the challenge,\u201d Garrett said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Barrow County resident drove 60 miles to campus three or four days a week for classes, spending as much as three hours in the car each day in addition to classes and homework.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGarrett could have gone to any of the 26 University System of Georgia schools under a state program that allows residents 62 years and older to pursue undergraduate degrees without cost. But, he says, he didn\u2019t \u003Cem\u003Ereally\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Ehave a choice.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTech\u2019s the best university in the state, one of the best universities on the planet,\u201d Garrett said. \u201cI knew it would be a challenge, and I didn\u2019t see any other university in this state as a challenge.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe made the Faculty Honors list several times, and says he\u2019s brought his overall Georgia Tech GPA up to 3.07, including a 3.9 average since returning.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI wasn\u2019t going to phone this in. I wasn\u2019t here just to get a grade. I wanted to make an A,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of his professors, Daniel Amsterdam, said he enjoyed working with Garrett.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cArnie always came to class prepared and eager to participate,\u201d Amsterdam said. \u201cHe took the material and assignments very seriously. Most touchingly, he consistently made an effort to make connections with his classmates. I admire his commitment to his work and his efforts to build community.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGarrett said his Ivan Allen College education only reinforced his belief in the value of a liberal arts education and especially history.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cUnderstanding history is so important \u2014 not just to know what happened, but to learn the lessons of the past and apply them to the present,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne class assignment in particular has stuck with him \u2014 a project that led him to connect with immigrant members of a metro Atlanta mosque.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022At our first meeting, the imam told me, \u2018God sent you here for a reason.\u2019 That hit me. I\u2019m not a very religious person \u2014 more spiritual \u2014 but those words stayed with me. The whole experience opened my eyes a lot. It made me think about what I want to do after school and how I can help others,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe also has some advice for fellow retirees pondering finally getting that degree.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFollow your passion. Pick something you love. But be prepared for the skull sweat it\u2019s going to take, especially if you go to an academic institution like Georgia Tech. Don\u2019t just go back to get a grade. Push yourself to excel.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESaid like a true Georgia Tech grad.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EArnie Garrett says perseverance and picking yourself up after failure is the key to success, even if it takes decades.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Arnie Garrett says perseverance and picking yourself up after failure is the key to success, even if it takes decades."}],"uid":"34600","created_gmt":"2024-12-06 18:55:22","changed_gmt":"2024-12-10 16:04:39","author":"mpearson34","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2024-12-09T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2024-12-09T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675789":{"id":"675789","type":"image","title":"arnie garrett.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EArnie Garrett first attended Georgia Tech in the 1980s, but it didn\u0027t go well. He returned after retirement to obtain his degree.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1733511336","gmt_created":"2024-12-06 18:55:36","changed":"1733511336","gmt_changed":"2024-12-06 18:55:36","alt":"\u0022\u0022","file":{"fid":"259455","name":"arnie garrett.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/06\/arnie%20garrett.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/06\/arnie%20garrett.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":305150,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/12\/06\/arnie%20garrett.jpg?itok=w2vxOPPc"}}},"media_ids":["675789"],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1288","name":"School of History and Sociology"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"627","name":"commencement"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:michael.pearson@iac.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMichael Pearson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIvan Allen College of Liberal Arts\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["michael.pearson@iac.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}