1. The Definitive Voice of the Career College Sector of Higher Education www.CareerCollegeCentral.com
MIND THE GAP
HOW CAN AMERICA SOLVE THE SKILLS GAP?
A VETERAN BATTLES PTSD
SUCCESS ON MANY FRONTS
VETS SUCCEED IN A VARIETY OF FIELDS
SOFT SKILLS
IS SOFT SKILLS INSTRUCTION A MORAL RESPONSIBILITY?
INSIDE
A VETERAN BATTLES PTSD
FINDING THE
STRENGTH

2. Subscribe at www.CareerCollegeCentral.com | 3
CareerCollegeCentral.com
Publisher
Robert "Bob" Martin
bobm@careercollegecentral.com
Managing Editor
Brittany Baker
brittanyb@careercollegecentral.com
Editor
Kevin Kuzma
kevink@careercollegecentral.com
Circulation Manager
Lee Doubleday
Art Director
Rick Kitchell
Columnists
Amir Moghadam
Vincent Scaramuzzo
Staff Writer
Jenni Valentino
Copy Editors
Michael Pope
Holly Soptick
LinkedIn Group Managers
Dr. Pietro (Pete) Savo
Don Arnoldy
Career College Central
12001 Sunrise Valley Drive, Suite 203
Reston,VA 20190
Phone: 571.267.3010
Subscriptions
Subscribe or renew at:
careercollegecentral.com/subscribe
Contributions
Submit your suggestions, ideas and press releases to:
brittanyb@careercollegecentral.com
Advertising & Sponsorships
Phone: 571.267.3023
Email: brittanyb@careercollegecentral.com
Media Kit/Editorial Calendar
careercollegecentral.com/media-Kit
Career College Central
November 2015,Volume 9, Number 6
Application to mail at periodicals postage rate is
pending at Reston,Virginia. Career College Central
is published bimonthly, six times a year, in January,
March, May, July, September and November.
Office of known publication: Imagine America Foundation, 12001
Sunrise Valley Drive, Suite 203, Reston,VA 20190. Periodicals Postage
Paid at Reston,Virginia, and at additional mailing offices.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Imagine America
Foundation, 12001 Sunrise Valley Drive, Suite 203,
Reston,VA 20190
Contributed Articles
In Every Issue/Columns
4 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
17 IMAGINE AMERICA FOUNDATION
38 SCARAMUZZO
44 LINK UP ON LINKEDIN
46 MOGHADAM
54 MAKING HEADLINES
56 WHY I STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE
26 Success on Many Fronts
By Dr. Pietro (Pete) Savo
America’s veterans have gone on to make contributions by
such as sales, social work, law enforcement and more.
32 Mission: Campus Success
By Rob Davenport
Helping veterans transition to civilian life is the life work of
Air Force Veteran Barry Wilkinson, who shares his thoughts
exclusively with Career College Central
veterans to succeed on campus.
40 Is Soft Skills Instruction a Moral
Responsibility?
By Karen Watts
Educators’ commitment to helping graduates become
well-rounded and employment-ready must cross all
disciplines and departments – and engaging with students
around soft skills is the only fair and ethical thing to do.
48 Accreditation at a Crossroads
By Albert Gray
The much-publicized fall of many publicly traded college
enterprises has increased scrutiny and underscored
expectations of accrediting agencies. What direction should
these organizations take as they reach a crossroads?

3. NOVEMBER 2015 | 26
dr. pietro savo
By Dr. Pietro (Pete) Savo, Mont Vernon Group
Recognizing military students and vets
who have excelled in their chosen fields
SUCCESS ON
MANY FRONTS
The
challenge I set for myself was an easy
one, or so I thought: I wanted to recognize
military students and veterans for their
achievements in some of the top career paths best suited for learners
with their backgrounds.
What became apparent is that such a narrow election of career
fields didn’t represent reality, or the true level of success because
these students have delivered success in many career paths. Service
members who leave the military have hands-on abilities, skills and
the can-do attitude that decode into any career.
Through dialogue with dozens of veterans across our nation, we’ve
identified some top career paths for military students – career paths
that appeal to the background and hands-on abilities of today's
veterans.
When I began interviewing these students, they all agreed on a
central principle: When you believe in following a certain career
path, persevere, and do not let anyone talk you out of it. Let me
introduce you to them – students and veterans from across our
nation who have succeeded in their chosen professions.

4. Subscribe at www.CareerCollegeCentral.com | 27
SALES
Daniel Kudrna, Valparaiso, Indiana
Chief Revenue Officer at GoYodel
Aflac Associate
Captain, United States Army National Guard flying the Sikorsky
UH-60 Blackhawks
Kudrna is not a shy military helicopter pilot and West Point
graduate. He simply starts talking, and all this writer can do is listen
and take notes. He said, “Sales is a great career option for veterans.
I’ve had people tell me I could never do sales, because I’m not a
salesman.” Kudrna feels that anyone who believes in something
can sell it. He goes on to say it is a natural practice for veterans,
because of the higher level of ethics practiced by the military.
Veteranscansetthemselvesupforsuccessfulsellingbyrepresenting
only products and services in which they believe. Kudrna closes
with the best argument of all.
“Military people are trained to succeed, and to overcome adversity
is something we learn from the first day. I see sales much like the
infantry in the Army … people love to bash the infantry, but at the
end of the day, you need it to secure ground. In the same way, if no
sale is made, then nobody gets to make anything or have anything.”
SOCIAL WORK
Carl LoFaro, Denver, Colorado
Area Veteran and Military Family Services Manager at the
Jefferson Center for Mental Health
United States Army Veteran, served in Ramadi and Iraq, worked
as a Counselor on a Combat Stress Team
LoFaro said, “Veterans are a team- and group-oriented
organization. Veterans helping veterans is becoming the most
important career movement out there. You would not consider
going on a mission as an individual.” His argument is that the
Veterans Administration cannot serve everybody. “We send
people off to war, then we need to be ready to take care of these
veterans when they come home. Who is better equipped than a
veteran to take care of veterans returning from war?”
While military service and social work seem on the surface to be
opposite career choices, at their cores, they have more similarities
than differences, according to LoFaro. “Much of my attraction
to the Army was based on its values: selfless service, duty and
integrity. These align well with the NationalAssociation of Social
Workers’ core values.”

5. NOVEMBER 2015 | 28
LAW ENFORCEMENT
John S. Voto, Tewksbury, Massachusetts
Deputy Chief of Police
Army National Guard
College and University Professor
Voto began our conversation with this: “Those of us who have
served our country understand many things about veterans. These
veterans are well-trained and bring with them a strong commitment
to succeed. They understand both the importance of organization
and how to work as a team. They usually come to work when they
are sick because they do not want to let their team down. They are
loyal, they can communicate effectively with others, and they are
always awaiting a challenge.”
For the many reasons Voto pointed out, service members make
excellent employees, and he and I both believe service members
will always watch our backs. Voto said, “Service members make
natural protectors of the community and are therefore well suited
for law enforcement.”
HEALTH CARE
Shawn Buxton, Manchester, New Hampshire
Tactical Paramedic and Clinical Educator for American Medical
Response (AMR)
Hospital Corpsman First Class, United States Naval Reserve
I asked Buxton if there were any limits in his career path. Did
he end up in the career he wanted? Buxton said, “Yes, I’m here,
and I only wish the Navy had pushed for more career education
to obtain more civilian certification to ease the transition
from military to civilian.” Buxton is a few classes away from
earning his Associate degree; he shared with me that his Tactical
Paramedic and Clinical Educator credentials, combined with his
Hospital Corpsman Naval Reserve status, prompted Buxton to
receive a four-month assignment as the personal paramedic for
President George H. Bush in Kennebunkport, Maine. He went
on to say the official title was Residential Medical Aide; Buxton
was the president’s personal paramedic on the U.S. Navy side of
the house. Again, another great example of a veteran taking care
of a veteran.

6. Subscribe at www.CareerCollegeCentral.com | 29
PUBLIC SERVICE
David W. Plance, Citrus Heights, California
Operations Planner, Department of Homeland Security/FEMA
Region IX
U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman Chief and Ph.D. student studying
Public Safety and Emergency Management with coursework in
leadership, research and diversity
His military career is well aligned with FEMA, from his Emergency
Management Analyst role at the Battelle Memorial Institute to having
earned an M.A. in Emergency & Disaster Management.
Public service has been his natural step from retiring from the United
States Navy. I asked Plance if he could share one piece of advice for
service members coming his way. Plance said, “Don’t sell your soft
skills short; we have tremendous leadership skills – sell the soft skills
that can bring many benefits to any organization.”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Audrey Hsieh, Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean
State Department, U.S. Embassy Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean
Former United States Army Captain
Hsieh’s story was personal. She grew up as anAsian-American, proud
to be growing up in America. She wanted to be part of the American
legacy. Her military career started in ROTC; she loved leadership
and public service and was satisfied with the work she was doing.
She separated from the Army and participated with the Army Career
serving in government. Using her GI Bill benefits, she then earned her
Master’s degree. Graduate school provided her the means to network
toward federal service, a State Department government career.
Hsieh believes an effort is needed at the grassroots level to help service
members have a path back to federal service helping service members
who are interested in continued public service. Hsieh described a
system that provides peer-to-peer assistance for vets and transitioning
service members interested in careers in the federal sector; the ultimate
goal is to build a new group of empowered military veterans in federal
public service. When I asked Hsieh what soldiers need to know to go
into federal public service, she said, “When you think your military
service is over, it does not have to be. The government needs your
experiences and your skills. Federal government needs people with
the tactical experience gained from the front lines post-9/11, Iraq and
Afghanistan.” She goes on to say that many service members must
network. Many service members who attend a networking event tend
to avoid nonmilitary people and talk among themselves. “Service
members must take the time to talk with people who have not served,
network and build relationships,” she added.
ENTREPRENEUR
Brian Gambill, St. Louis, Missouri
Owner of B. Gambill Career Solutions
Former United States Air Force and Advocate for Military
Veterans, Professional Athletes and Spanish Speakers Careers
Gambill discovered during his military career that he
had a natural gift for writing, creating resumes, process
improvements, training and countless other support services to
service members seeking to transition to civilian careers. He
started a veteran-helping-veteran business.
Gambill’s research identified the main qualities veterans
offer the civilian workforce. First on his list is leadership;
veterans are trained to succeed and endure in the most stressful
environments. Veterans must be on call 24/7, be ready at a
moment’s notice to deploy to foreign nations for our national
security and humanitarian relief efforts, and are responsible
for all those under their supervision. Gambill said, “Service
before self is a key component here – and taking care of your
wingmen.” Gambill’s research identified additional qualities
veterans offer the civilian workforce, including organizational
skills and attention to detail.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ariel Ramos, Nashua, New Hampshire
Founder, Gryphon Bat Company
Homeland Security Student
United States Marine Corps and Afghanistan War Veteran
To know former USMC Ariel Ramos; have him as a student;
and be exposed to his love for country, baseball and education
make him an inspiring contributor to the American Dream.
Ramos spoke about the day: “Nov. 7, 2014, was the day I
decided that if I were not able to make it up the professional
baseball ranks, I would have to come up with a plan to leave
a lasting effect on the game.” He spoke about books he read
that opened his eyes to starting a business with a hobby that
you enjoy doing. His research motivated him to design wooden
baseball bats. He started this business as a hobby during his
junior year at Greater Lowell Technical High School in 2005,
but then took some time off because of his service to our
country in the United States Marine Corps.
By the end of summer 2014, Ramos started calling wood mills
and conducting extensive research on rules and regulations of
the bats used in Major League Baseball. He carefully studied
wood and paint dating back several decades. Once returning
to civilian life, he started manufacturing baseball bats in his
500-square-foot apartment. Using a wood lathe, he would
machine turn, sand and paint the wood. On Feb. 25, 2015,
Ramos’ baseball bat manufacturing dream company came to
life. To date, over 800 Ariel Ramos bats are in use nationwide,
and Ramos’ successes include three league sponsorships,
several Amateur Athletic Union teams, six All-Star game
sponsorships, six indoor batting facilities, local colleges and
high schools … another American Dream in motion.

7. NOVEMBER 2015 | 30
EDUCATION
Matthew Schentrup, Louisville, Kentucky
Training Consultant at Dale Carnegie Training and the
International Center for Corporate Learning, Sullivan University
United States Marine Corps
As a disabled veteran with a spinal cord injury from a tour in Iraq,
Schentrup took the first job he could get when he was discharged:
federal security officer. That lasted about two years, then he moved
on to trainer in a retail store. The position was then eliminated, and
Schentrup found himself unemployed for a year and a half. He then
took his time to get more education.
Schentrup came to work at Dale Carnegie Training and the
International Center for Corporate Learning at Sullivan University
because he has so much passion for helping veterans. He developed
and deployed the Dale Carnegie Military to Civilian Leadership
Certificate. His program helps shift the mindset of military service
members from speaking military lingo to using civilian corporate
lingo and helps veterans in their transition from the military to
civilian workforce.
MECHANICAL AND
ELECTRICAL
Chris McBrayer, Chapin, South Carolina
Student, National Aviation Academy; and Student, ITT and Life
Cycle Engineering Institute
Field Service Engineer for General Electric and the U.S. Army
McBrayer’s suggestion to military students and veterans is
go technical, mechanical and electrical. Companies are hiring
military-trained mechanics, technicians and troubleshooters.
McBrayer suggested attending Orion International Veteran Hiring
Conferences. They have very good military talent programs that
enable organizations to attract, hire, develop and retain military
talent. McBrayer interviewed with five different corporations in
one day and received five offers, so he was able to choose which
company was the best fit for him. He now loves his employer and
career path.

8. Subscribe at www.CareerCollegeCentral.com | 31Subscribe at www.CareerCollegeCentral.com | 31Subscribe at www.CareerCollegeCentral.com | 31
Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB),
a higher education service business that provides
and universities nationwide. Savo, a respected lecturer
and published author, was employed 18 years with
Sikorsky Aircraft and six years as a Direct Business
Operations and Lean Manufacturing Consultant for the U.S. Air Force Small
Business Manufacturing Technical Assistance Production Program (MTAPP),
supply chain missions. If you'd like to contact Savo, he can be reached at
PSavo@Education-Resource-Information.org or 603.321.6224.
M&A ADVISORY AND
CONSULTING SERVICES
Focused on the sale, purchase and development
of career schools and colleges throughout
the U.S. and worldwide.
Career Schools and Colleges...our ONLY Business.
Formerly known as Schools for Sale International, Inc.
Affiliated with Susan F. Schulz & Associates, Inc.
Dr. Susan F. Schulz
Founder
Dr. Barry Berkowitz
Chief M&A Officer
561.483.9554 SchulzSchoolAdvisors.com
info@SchulzSchoolAdvisors.com
SAFETY
Erik M. Bratton, Memphis, Tennessee
Director of Safety, Hospital Wing, United States Army
Bratton is a retiring (currently on transition leave) Army Aviator
who has made the successful career transition from a military pilot
to a safety professional.
Bratton said, “Although I am still flying, my primary duty is the
safety operations of Hospital Wing.” He went on to explain that
many soldiers have made safety a career field of choice because
there are many aspects of safety that military personnel are familiar
with and can articulate and perform without formal education. So it
is natural for most veterans transitioning to civilian employment to
have safety as a major part of their culture.
“Advanced career schooling definitely puts transitioning veterans
in a better position to obtain employment in the safety field,”
Bratton achknowedged. He went on to say that “it is already well
known that service members have experienced and applied safety
concepts to all aspects of any job.”
It’s important to remember that career paths for military student
veterans are only limited by each veteran’s imagination. The
clear value that makes military students and veterans successful
is our leadership DNA that comes from a military education and
experiences that translate nicely into countless career paths. A
quote by Francis of Assisi explains U.S. military service members’
ability perfectly: “Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s
possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”