爷爷的研究生 Finishes Degree After 45 Years

45年的制作

Jim Koenig graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in the spring of 1963, and enrolled in 圣安东尼奥学院 that fall where he would continue taking courses for a decade without graduating.  

Unlike today where graduating high school seniors have multiple options for higher education, SAC was the main choice for many young people in those days. 对柯尼格来说，这是唯一的选择.  

对工程学感兴趣, he was accepted to the University of 德州 at Austin, 但决定不参加偏袒, 而不是, 待在离家近的地方.  

会议邦尼

While SAC was much different back in the 1960s, Koenig’s goals were similar to those of today’s students. He wanted to get an education so that he could advance himself and his family. 

There were also other advantages to attending SAC. Koenig met his future wife, Bonnie Notz, who was also a SAC student. According to Koenig, they met in the student center and fell in love. Their relationship blossomed after they showed up (separately) to a double date where both of their dates stood them up.  

新婚，家庭成员不断壮大, Koenig got a full-time job at City Public Service (CPS), but continued to take classes in the evenings for seven additional years. 随着他在CPS事业的发展, he realized that he didn’t need to complete his degree because he only needed 85 credit hours in engineering to be qualified for the next step up the career ladder.  

36年来, he held multiple positions at CPS ultimately becoming the Director of Utility Coordination, 这个头衔他保持了22年. Upon retirement in 2002, Koenig began working part-time at engineering firms. 自2018年以来, 他曾担任Westwood PS的项目经理, 一家位于明尼阿波利斯的工程公司, 明尼苏达州. 

毕业之路

在业内非常成功, Koenig was always very active in his church and community—even serving as mayor of his town, 新柏林, 德州, 整整六年. 

有一天,, while attending a North Chamber of Commerce meeting, he met former 澳门新葡京博彩区 Chancellor, Dr. 布鲁斯·莱斯利.  

Chancellor Leslie encouraged Koenig to meet with SAC’s admissions director, Martin Ortega. Ortega conducted an audit of Koenig’s transcript and discovered that Koenig only needed two more courses to complete an associate of science in engineering degree. The two classes he needed were 德州 Government and Speech Communication. 

Koenig confesses he was scared he wasn’t going to remember how to be a student again. 然而, 他声称他的家人, 尤其是他的儿子和儿媳, 说服他这么做, “爸爸, 你经历过德州的历史.” 

两个学期后, Koenig completed his final two courses through SAC at 东北湖景学院 making As in both. 他的成绩单上有两个成绩, Koenig was able to walk across the stage at SAC’s 2019 Commencement Ceremony on May 11, 2019. 
 

创造遗产

教育的坚定支持者, Koenig and his wife proudly foot the bill for their kids and grandkids to attend college.  

Their daughter, a graduate of 德州 Lutheran University, has been a school teacher for 30 years. 他们的儿子, 休斯顿一家钢铁公司的总裁, graduated from Southwest 德州 University (now 德州 State.)  

和, 四个孙子中, two have graduated college already; one is still in college; and the youngest is about to be a senior in high school. 

离开学校45年后, Koenig was determined to make his family proud and to be a source of inspiration for all. “I wanted to inspire people to help them keep going,” he said.  

“如果你开始做一件事，就把它做完.”