5 Lessons Learned Going From Student to Lecturer

Todd Brewer, a senior lecturer at Purdue University's School of Aviation and Transportation Technology, is sharing the top five lessons he learned from graduating with his Purdue Global master’s degree.

1. Advisors can help you turn an idea to change careers into a plan.

I was an aviation supervisor before going back to school, and it was a physically demanding job. I didn’t want to do it at 50 or 60 years old. I wanted to do something different. As I get older, I don’t want to have a harder life, and I want an opportunity to make more money.

When I called Purdue Global to talk about getting a master’s degree, I had a management degree in mind because I was already a supervisor. The advisor I was talking to said, “Have you thought about higher education?” I hadn’t really considered that. He said, “With a higher education degree, you could teach.” And I thought, “Wow, that makes a whole lot of sense.” I have all this knowledge I want to share with the next generations of aircraft mechanics and aviators.

I thank that person for guiding me to that conclusion, because I didn’t look back and it was a great experience. The professors were great, and the curriculum was relevant, useful and helpful. When an opportunity came for a position as senior lecturer for aviation engineering technology, I was ready for it, and I got it.

I loved what I did previously, but Purdue Global gave me an opportunity to grow and do something different. The opportunity for better pay and an easier lifestyle both workwise and personally. 

2. Everything is flexible. Everything.

I could still work full time and get my master’s degree in a year and a half. I did take one semester off, but I could pick it right back up, and it was simple. It worked for my family and my lifestyle. It was a great opportunity.

Classes were in the evenings, so I could participate after my normal work hours. If you had a conflict and couldn’t make it to class, they were flexible. You could watch the recording. 

That’s an option I offer my students now as a lecturer. As long as my students communicate with me, I’m flexible. I learned that from Purdue Global.

3. Don’t miss a Purdue Global graduation! It was an unforgettable experience.

Graduation was surreal. I graduated from Purdue University, and I don't know if I appreciated it as much when I was 23. I was in the workforce for 30 years, so it meant a lot. It was a neat experience to come back to the same campus where I had my undergraduate graduation. I took it in more. For a lot of people, this was their first graduation ceremony, and to see how much it meant to everyone, it was exciting.

In one of my classes, I made a very good friend through our discussion board. She lived in Texas with her family, and we had some good conversations back and forth on the discussion page. We had several classes together. She and her family came up from Texas for graduation, and it was cool to meet and talk to them in person. We still converse back and forth via email.

If you get an opportunity to go to graduation, you should do it.

4. Going back to school improved my confidence and showed me I could do anything.

The thought of going back to school was daunting. I was almost 50 years old, and I was thinking, “Can I do this again?” I’m so glad that I did it. It meant a lot to me because I proved to myself I could do it. I could do it again if there was another opportunity. If I thought that it would advance me even further, I would not hesitate. I can now do things that I didn’t think I could do.

Todd Brewer made his dreams of teaching at a university come true with Purdue Global. (Purdue Global photo/Kelsey Lefever)

It wasn’t easy, but I learned more because of it. If you had told me 15 years ago that I was going to be in a lecture hall with 150 students standing in front of me, I would have said, “There's no way.” I'm not a public speaker. There’s no way I could do that. And now I have confidence, and I’m doing that twice a week. It gave me confidence I didn’t know I had.

5. I wouldn’t have achieved my dream without my degree.

Because of my degree from Purdue Global, I’ve been able to achieve my dream of becoming a lecturer at a major university. I wouldn’t have my dream job without my master’s degree, even though I had tons and tons of experience. And that’s what I wanted to do — share my experience with younger generations. Purdue Global helped me hone my skills, and I could take what I’m knowledgeable about and communicate those things to students.

My salary increased because of it, and my opportunities to move up are greater. I’m still doing what I love, but I’m in a better position because of Purdue Global.

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