Veteran to Watch Tulsa Tech Graduation on Internet
By KARA GAE NEAL
Superintendent
REACHING OUT: Thanks to the Internet, Peggy Ryan will be watching her children accept her degree in radiology from Tulsa Tech while she is deployed overseas this month.
Courtesy Tulsa Tech
Although Peggy Ryan spent the last two years studying, completing her assignments, and working in the field to gain valuable clinical experience as part of Tulsa Tech’s Radiologic Technology Program, she will not be joining her classmates as they walk across the stage to receive their graduation honors in June.
Ryan will be unable to join her classmates as they celebrate their completion of one of Tulsa Tech’s most rigorous and competitive programs because for the second time, she will be joining the thousands of men and women overseas who sacrifice their time with friends and family in order to serve and protect our great nation.
Although this successful graduate of the program won’t be able to participate in person, thanks to the Internet, Ryan will be able to experience the joy and satisfaction of watching her children accept honors on her behalf during the graduation ceremonies.
“It may be two o’clock in the morning wherever I am, but the plan is to have my 25 year old son and my 21 year old daughter walk for my graduation,” she says. “I’ll also be looking forward to seeing all of my classmates during the graduation.”
When she returns home, this veteran of Saudi Arabia, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Kurdistan and Kuwait, plans on continuing her education in the field of radiology.
“I’d like to continue my education in radiation therapy at the University of Oklahoma,” she says. “And eventually work to help patients who have been diagnosed with cancer.”
Linnette Polk, coordinator for radiologic technology at Tulsa Tech, is convinced that Ryan will succeed regardless of the specialty area she decides to pursue.
“She is an extremely hard worker, and she has that military mindset of ‘the-job-will-get-done.’ There is no doubt that she will not only succeed, be she will also be a valuable asset to any team,” says Polk.
But for now, as a member of Oklahoma’s Air National Guard, Technical Sergeant Ryan is ready to deploy in the company of her Services Group, with duties related to lodging, food service, fitness and funeral arrangements for soldiers from the Oklahoma area.
“The most honorable part of my work has been, unfortunately, standing at attention and saluting a fellow soldier from Oklahoma, who had deceased, as we brought him back to base,” Ryan states as she tries to keep her emotions in check.
As we celebrate this Memorial Day holiday, please take a moment to consider the many individuals who work so hard to protect the everyday freedom that we enjoy.
Tulsa Tech would like to congratulate Ryan for her successful completion of the Radiologic Technology Program, but more importantly, we would like to thank TSgt. Ryan for her dedicated service to our country, along with all of the men and women who help insure our liberty to pursue our individual goals and dreams.
If you’re currently looking for exciting classes for high school and adult students, quality business and industry training, or an opportunity to pursue your dream, Tulsa Tech invites you to visit today. For more information, please call 918-828-5200 or visit us online at tulsatech.edu.
Updated 05-26-2011
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