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For Rich Gutierrez ’26, college never seemed to be in the cards. 

“I tried when I first joined the Navy 22 years ago, but it wasn’t really my thing,” he said. “But when I got to [my current command in] Guam, I had some really good, motivated people that kind of changed my mind.”

He met Jennifer Engeberg, assistant director of Enrollment Management, in the �����鱨վ Guam office, and she sold him on the idea.

“From the very beginning, she encouraged me to keep moving forward with my education and reminded me that earning a degree while serving in the military was absolutely possible,” Gutierrez said. “Sometimes you need those right people, the right time, the right place, in your life.”

Gutierrez is now working toward a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management, which he hopes to finish in a year. In the interim, he took the opportunity to participate in �����鱨վ’s regional commencement ceremony in Guam on May 9 to receive his associate’s degree in general studies.

“At first, I wasn’t going to do it, but then I realized, it’s not for me, it’s for my children,” he said. “I have four kids under 10, and it was awesome having them there. A huge part of doing the degree and the grad walk was to be a role model for them.”

An unexpected bonus was learning along the way that a coworker was also pursuing his degree, and they made a pact to finish. “We got to walk the stage together, and that was so cool,” Gutierrez said.

Pushing forward through adversity

Some come to �����鱨վ in the face of overwhelming challenges, like Carol Faye Walls ’26. Mother, grandmother, cancer survivor, and primary caretaker of a family member with Stage IV cancer, Walls enrolled at age 64, determined to finish her bachelor’s degree. 

“I worked in the federal government for many years, with the Minority Serving Institution Programs, helping underserved students go to colleges and universities,” said Walls. “What haunted me was I had not completed secondary education. And I wanted to do something that would leave a legacy for my three grandchildren.”

Despite being diagnosed with uterine cancer and going through chemotherapy while attending college, Walls earned an associate degree from Montgomery College and transferred to �����鱨վ to finish her Bachelor of Science in Social Science. And then her father suffered a stroke. 

“There were times I just wanted to give up, but [my coaches] would say, ‘Okay, do you want to do one more class? Just try and see how you do.’ And then I ran out of money for tuition and the financial aid office told me about the Golden ID.”

Maryland’s Golden ID program—which covers tuition for qualifying retirees 60 years of age and older—enabled Walls to stay in school during a dark time in her life. She was assaulted, damaging the laptop she used for school, and between housing situations. Alleviating the financial burden of tuition meant she could afford to replace her laptop and arrange interim housing. 

“These are life-altering things,” Walls said. “�����鱨վ, it just got me through. In the nick of time, with two weeks left in class, the financial aid came through. I was able to get my computer. I was able to get a room for three days until my brother’s new apartment was finished.”

Walls was scheduled to cross the stage at Grad Walk, graduating magna cum laude on May 14, but, again, life intervened. Her brother experienced a setback and required additional treatment for his cancer. Instead, Walls will don her cap and gown in December.

“I can't even tell you how this university has changed my life. Just the people, the financial aid, the advising, the academic support, the resources, the flexibility,” said Walls. “Each played a vital role at moments when I needed support, structure, and belief in my ability to continue.”