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Fayetteville’s Ernie Coward, 74, graduates in 1st
MBA class at Clayton State
Morrow,
Ga., May 14, 2009 --
The first cohort of Clayton State University’s Masters
in Business Administration (MBA) graduated on Saturday,
May 9. Although all 31 MBA graduates accomplished a
notable milestone, none were more notable than that of
Fayetteville’s Ernest Coward, at the age of 74, the
oldest student to earn a Clayton State MBA.
Long
before joining the procession at the University’s spring
Commencement ceremonies, Coward was a bit apprehensive
about returning to school.
“All
these people will be my grandchildren’s age,” he said at
the time he matriculated into the first Clayton State
MBA cohort. “And I’ll be the old guy.”
Actually, Coward’s history with Clayton State goes back
to when the University was still a junior college, when
he took courses in computer programming through the
Division of Continuing Education.
“I’ve been coming here for years taking community
courses,” Coward says.
After originally studying chemistry in Alabama more than
50 years ago, Coward decided to go into the service as
the Korean War was ending. However, he promised his
mother that he would go back to college.
“I
got patriotic one weekend, and joined the Navy flight
school,” he says. “I spent four years flying
helicopters, and after I came out I joined the Air Force
Reserve and flew for 12 years.”
Coward then continued his journey as a manufacturer,
producing things like cosmetics, lingerie and gloves.
After retired after 38 years in business.
“After I retired and did all the things I wanted to do,
played all the golf I wanted to play, I decided that I
needed to do something constructive,” he says. “Seven
months after I retired I called Clayton State University
to ask about the possibility of returning to school. The
lady on the phone replied, `if you get me your
transcripts you can start in two weeks!’”
As a
result, Coward did not have time to back out. Initially
he wanted pursue a chemistry degree, however, he learned
that the University did not offer that degree.
Undaunted, he turned to the School of Business.
“Between Dr. Jacob Chacko, dean of School of Business,
and Dr. Michael Deis, director of the MBA program, and
my personal instructor, I decided Clayton State
University was the place to be,” he says.
Coward was surprised how his fellow MBA candidates
migrated towards him, and how interested they were in
his past experiences.
“So
many of them wanted to hear about how things were many
years ago, because I graduated from high school in
1952,” he says. “As you can see, I am no spring
chicken.
“Getting back into the gear of things was challenging
since I had been out of school for almost 40 years.
Refreshing my memory, managing study time, and being
ready for a test, those were somewhat challenging.”
However, since Coward had managed to keep up with
technology, the University's laptop requirement didn’t
hold him back.
“I
grew up with computers. I came up during the time when
you had to write your own software," he says. "I
challenged myself to learn how to work a computer."
Following his graduation, Coward is a strong advocate
for the University and the School of Business.
“This campus and professors are great. The School of
Business is unbelievable!” he exclaims. “The University
is full of professors who have world and academic
experience. You get Ivy League schooling for an
economical price.
“The
most memorable moment for me is how I have been
accepted. If Clayton State University offered a
doctorate, I would keep going.” |
