Hi everyone! My name is John Suckow and I'm a first year Master's student in the IST program at IU Bloomington. I'm an active duty Coast Guard member getting my master's in IST as part of the Coast Guard's advanced education program. I have been in the Coast Guard for 9 years and have been stationed in New London, CT (this is where our classmate Bryan attended the Coast Guard Academy), Cape Cod, MA, and Monterey, CA. Upon graduation from IU I will be stationed at a Coast Guard training center in Cape May, NJ designing instruction.
I grew up in NJ so my next assignment will put me and my family close to relatives. Before the Coast Guard, I attended Rutgers University in NJ where I got my B.A. in Psychology. After college I jumped around doing a number of different jobs for a couple of years, with the longest stint working as a counselor with at-risk youth in Elizabeth, NJ. It was difficult to live off of a social worker's salary so I decided to enlist in the Coast Guard where I could make the big bucks as a junior enlisted member! Well, I was actually making less money, but the experience and job satisfaction made it worthwhile. The Coast Guard had always interested me because of it's missions that are both exciting and humanitarian and because I wanted to serve my country. My experience in the Coast Guard has been invaluable to me and joining was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I plan to make a career in the Coast Guard which means at least 11 more years of service.
My wife, Jessica, my 13 month old son, Hayden, and I live in Bloomington and we are really enjoying the area. This is our first time living in the midwest and we are trying to soak up the experience by seeing as much as we can during our short stay. We love to travel, hike and go camping (mostly me and wife...my son likes blocks and brunettes).
I look forward to meeting and learning from all of you during this course.
John
Greetings John!
ReplyDeleteHayden is such a cutie! I have a little guy almost the same age (15 months) and it's such a trip!
I've always wondered what types of things you'd design for the Coast Guard. How did you get into instructional design?
Thank you Professor! I'd like to see a picture of your son as well.
DeleteWith my particular assignment, I'll be working with designing instruction for basic training in the Coast Guard. I don't know more specifically yet what I'll be working on though.
I got into ID through HPT, because I'm interested in the idea of improving performance. This is central to most organizations but very important in the Coast Guard, particularly with its life saving missions. I think I was also attracted to HPT due to my background in Psych - seeing the relationship between these fields. I didn't actually know about ID until I got to IU and then just a few months ago I found out that I would be doing ID in my next assignment. I'm excited to do something new and to apply my learning in the field.
Regards,
John
Hey there, John. It looks like you have got this blog thing down! I enjoyed reading your introduction - I actually learned some things about you that I wasn't aware of.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I grew up just about 3 hours to the east near Dayton, OH, this is the first time I can remember spending more than an afternoon in Indiana. My family is also interested in taking in as many of the sites and experiences the area has to offer so I am just curious if there is anything you and your family have done since being here that should go on my "must do" list. Thanks and I look forward to working with you again this semester!
-Kipp
Thanks Kipp. I really like Indy - there are a few different areas of the city that are neat to walk around and there are some great restaurants and attractions (children's museum). If interested I can give you a few tips on where to go. They're a little far but the Amish country up north is supposed to be great and I've heard Notre Dame is a beautiful campus to visit. I would check out Louisville and Mammoth Caves in KY before we leave.
ReplyDeleteJohn