 Our final guest this evening was the recipient of the Logue Family Trusty Scholarship for Military Students in the World Campus. Todd Venet served in Iraq with the U.S. Marine Corps. In 2012, Todd graduated from Penn State with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Energy and Sustainability Policy through the World Campus. Todd, thanks so much for joining us. Oh, sure. No problem. You spent nearly 10 years in the U.S. Marines and left the service as a decorated disabled veteran. That's not something you focus much on, your injury. But tell us, if you would, a little bit about your story. I enrolled, or I joined the Marine Corps in 2001 after 9-11, you know, a pretty patriotic symbol. And I'd spent some time in Iraq and I became disabled in combat operations. Ultimately, after that had happened, I had to make a decision about what I wanted to do. And while evaluating my options, I sat down with my wife and we decided going back to school was the best thing I could possibly do for myself. You know, I couldn't play in the dirt forever. And we should say wife and three kids. Four kids. Four now, but at the time you had three kids. That's right. That's correct. So you had a full plate. And not much of a nest egg. No, I mean, when you get disabled or when you get injured in combat, the problem is there's quite a lengthy process before, you know, any type of retirement or compensation comes. So when you go back to school, you have to really, really work at handling your expenses and trying to balance a budget with your family and go to school. So it's a pretty tough not to crack. So ultimately, I ended up going to Penn State and while student loans were great, you know, I just came up a little bit short. And the Logue family awarded me a scholarship for my final two years and was literally the difference between being able to finish or having to postpone my graduation. And without it, I wouldn't have been able to graduate. So that was a really, really meaningful thing for me. And it was really significant in my process. Well, I want to say, first of all, you're the first member of your family to get a college degree. But before I go any further with that, I read in a blog that you created for your coursework in your online program. And you say that the Penn State World Campus really took a chance on you because when you were in your teens and when you were in your early 20s, you took college classes at community colleges on and off. You sort of bounced around and out of 100 or out of 80 credits, you actually earned 14. That's a true statistic. I ultimately, my results were underwhelming to say the least. So I applied to Penn State and ultimately I get rejected twice. So then I called the admissions office. I'm pleaded in my case and I talked to this sweet lady and I still remember her name, Betty McKinley, in admissions. And I said, Betty, I said, I'll do whatever it takes to go to school here. It means a lot to me and you won't regret your decision. She says, well, Todd, we can't let you in the front door, but I'm going to let you on the side. As a provisional student. As a provisional student. And if you get 16 credits and you carry a certain GPA, we'll make you a permanent student. And it ultimately turned into becoming a permanent student. And you were a Dean's List student. I was a Dean's List student. So it was an incredible transformation. Like we make some real poor judgment decisions in our 20s. There's no question about it. And ultimately I made better on it, you know, because I never thought I would finish. Maybe the best thing that ever happened to me was getting injured because without it maybe I wouldn't have seen the light that I needed to do something a little different. There's this misperception that an online education is inferior in some way to a traditional college degree and that it doesn't lead to the jobs that a traditional college degree leads to. And your experience flies in the face of that. Oh, no, no question. I mean, I don't think I'm an anomaly. I just think that there's a misconception out there. I mean, specifically, I had a job. I mean, my degree is in energy and sustainability policy. I literally had a job, a very significant job. I paid a great salary before I had my diploma in hand. And now you're on your second job. And now I'm on my second job with a significant salary increase in both of which my education at Penn State was at the forefront of why I got the positions. What I love about the three people I've talked to today is, I don't know if our associate producer knows this when he picked all of you, is that all three of you, your stories have come full circle. Because your work with the Interstate Renewable Energy Council puts you in a position to evaluate energy courses that other college students are taking to know, is this a valuable course? Is this going to lead to a job for someone down the road? Absolutely. I think it's unique that now all colleges and universities in New York that have a renewable energy or energy efficiency coursework. I'm actually sitting on these courses and evaluating their content for how well it translates into positions in the job sector. And it's pretty unique. And I think it's a neat experience to be able to be on the other side. So now the professors are nervous because of me instead of me being nervous because of them. What I also love is that you are very jazzed about what you're doing. I mean, this isn't a job, this is a career, and a family sustaining career at that. Oh, no question. I think it even goes beyond the career thing. I mean, a lot of times when you look at your career path, you know, energy and sustainability policy, what does that really boil down to? Well, for me, I look at the four kids I have and I'm like, well, jeez, I have a responsibility to their generation to leave this planet in a better place than it was when I got here. And how do I do that? Well, the best way to do that is get involved with energy, which tends to be one of the drivers for a lot of pollution and climate change and a lot of other things like that. So for me, being involved in an industry that has a chance to make a difference for the next generation really means something to me. And it was a rigorous program. You did something in your course that I thought was wonderful that really sort of meant a lot to you in terms of demonstrating your citizenship. And that is you wrote a letter to the EPA about one of their policies. I did. I did. And so as a result, you had to learn all about it. But also you're telling them, this is what we expect of this public institution. That's right. They never wrote me back. So it was good to make a public comment about what I thought, you know, on a particular policy. And I had some guidance from my faculty at Penn State and from my academic advisor. And so it was a really unique experience. They guided me along. So I was helpful, urging to them, but also careful on what I said. People, I think, wrongly assume that if you're a veteran that you get the financial aid you need through the GI bill. And that really is not the case. I mean, you get it, but it's often not enough for someone in a position like yours, a father with three children and a fourth on the way. Yeah. Well, you get the GI bill. The problem is there's often a very long lag between compensation and between when you earn your entitlements. So it's, you know, just for instance, I had to add my newborn son to the VA. And it's like a year plus on the waiting list. So the timing was really an issue more than anything. And that's where the scholarship came in and helped me out. What I think of is the untapped potential that's out there. There are more Todd Venets is out there who could do as well as you did. And don't get the opportunity. Well, for sure. No, there's no question. I mean, there's limited resources and there's limited information about the resources that are out there. So, I mean, awareness is a big thing and support for the people that really need it. You mentioned Benly McKinley, Betty McKinley. And I think the interesting thing about that is that people think that in online education you're isolated. It's not personal. And yet you are on a first name basis with Brandy Robinson, who was the one who said you could apply for the, for this scholarship. That's right. And Betty McKinley, who went to bat for you in the admissions office. No question. I'm Brandy Robinson here tonight as my guest. So, yeah, I took so many courses that, that although they were online, they were filled with plenty of students that are here on campus because they didn't fit the in-person schedule. So, you know, and ultimately I went to Costa Rica with a bunch of college students from University Park. And I've had a really unique experience with Penn State and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Thanks so much for being with us. Thanks for your time.