Liberty military graduates receive degrees at annual Fort Bragg ceremony

Retired Army veteran Jerry Hill faithfully served his country for 26 years on active duty, including 11 deployments to countries around the globe. The military has been his family and his livelihood, so being able to celebrate the latest achievement in his life on a military base held special meaning.

On Nov. 10 at Fort Bragg, N.C., Hill joined 14 fellow Liberty University graduates in the Annual Fort Bragg Graduation Ceremony, held at the Iron Mike Conference Center. Fort Bragg is the most populous U.S. military base in the world. Liberty was one of 20 schools represented at the ceremony with about 100 graduates taking part.

Administrative Dean for Online Education Dr. Michael Shenkle was Liberty’s speaker at the event. He presented three doctoral, nine graduate, and three undergraduate degrees.

“We have always been so proud to serve our military-affiliated students at Liberty,” Shenkle said. “The difficult path they have taken to achieve their degrees amid the responsibilities of military life is certainly admirable, and it is a sincere honor to join them in celebrating along with the world-class team at Fort Bragg.”

The graduates said Liberty provided the support they needed as service members. Hill said Liberty also helped him prioritize his faith while he pursued his Master of Arts in Human Services Counseling through Liberty University Online Programs. This is the second degree Hill has earned through Liberty; he also holds an undergraduate degree in religion: biblical studies.

“I am living proof that no matter where you are, whether in the U.S. or in an austere environment, continue to pursue your educational goals,” Hill said. “Yes, the circumstances might make things a little harder for you to achieve, but hold on to what I used to get me through the hard and uncertain times, and that is Phil 4:13 (which says), ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.’ I held on to this Scripture in my heart through every deployment and field training exercise and know God has shown me (this) through the achievement of allowing me to get my bachelor’s from LU and then my master’s.”

With his master’s, he said he feels led to serve families in need of hearing the redemptive power of Jesus Christ.

“God has laid on my heart that there is a need for Christian men and women to flood the cities to help mend broken families and individuals through His words and lead them to a better relationship with Christ.”

Graduate Kelly Zander, whose husband is in the Air Force, earned her Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She said the program has prepared her for her future profession, which she sees as a calling. She has a passion to continue working with military members and their families.

“I ended up finding myself on a much deeper level through this degree than ever before and simultaneously found a fierce passion to help others discover themselves through the therapeutic process, as well,” she said. “This program has prepared me, not only to better understand myself, but to be able to help others through their struggles, pain, questions, suffering, and challenges. I can confidently say I am ready to be on the battlefield of the mind, equipped with the tools to help others navigate their own battlefields as I walk alongside them. I am deeply grateful for this opportunity, and I am so humbled and proud to say I am where I am today.”

Liberty is observing Military Appreciation Month in November, a time where the school expresses gratitude for the over 40,000 military students and their loved ones who are a part of the Liberty family. Read more on the month’s events.

Liberty’s Office of Military Affairs supports service members, veterans, and their spouses year-round by offering a variety of special events and educational resources specifically for military students. Tuition discounts, book vouchers, and scholarships, as well as family resources and student care are available. For more information on military benefits and scholarships, contact LUMilitary@liberty.edu.