{"id":2051,"date":"2022-07-06T09:00:17","date_gmt":"2022-07-06T16:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/?p=2051"},"modified":"2024-08-05T18:45:06","modified_gmt":"2024-08-06T01:45:06","slug":"osu-everywhere-matt-bowling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/osu-everywhere-matt-bowling\/","title":{"rendered":"Oregon State Everywhere: ‘Education is an investment in yourself, and you are worth it’"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"

By completing two graduate programs online with Oregon State, Matt Bowling took his knowledge and expertise to another level \u2014 then he started his own business<\/a> to help make a positive impact on the environment.<\/p><\/div>\n

I am the owner \u2014 the \u201csolopreneur\u201d \u2014 of Matt Bowling Planning<\/a>. I launched my business in December 2021. It is a veteran-owned small business specializing in environmental review, urban planning, historic preservation and water management. I am also in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve.<\/p>\n

I would have not been able to earn my M.S. in Environmental Sciences<\/a> and the Graduate Certificate in Water Conflict Management and Transformation<\/a> without the online format offered by Oregon State University. I am so thankful for the opportunity afforded by Oregon State Ecampus.<\/p>\n

Prior to enrolling, I did a lot of research into where I wanted to return to school. In the end, Oregon State was at the top of my list.<\/p>\n

Learning online with Oregon State has been an incredibly worthy investment. The knowledge that I obtained and the skills that I learned gave me the confidence to launch my own business. In addition, it has directly and positively influenced my ability to do my job in the U.S. Coast Guard, where our mission set includes marine environmental protection, living marine resources stewardship and ice operations.<\/p>\n

\n

Tell us your story<\/h3>\n

Write your own Oregon State Everywhere story by sharing the triumphs and challenges you experienced as an Ecampus student.<\/p>\n

Share your story<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n

Here’s my advice to anyone who is considering going back to school: Go for it! There is no better time than now. In five, 10, 15 or 20 years, the only regret you will have will be the opportunities you did not take. Education is an investment in yourself, and you are worth it.<\/p>\n

OSU Ecampus was user-friendly, with great support. I have several degrees and credentials, and I have learned in a lot of different types of environments (in person, online asynchronous, online synchronous, self-paced, etc.). OSU Ecampus was a great experience and one of the best learning environments I have ever been a part of.<\/p>\n

My professors in the environmental sciences master\u2019s program and the water conflict management and transformation graduate certificate were outstanding. The faculty and staff were experts in their respective fields, and I learned so much from them. I learned a lot from my classmates too. The class discussions were really helpful and helped me to broaden my perspective.<\/p>\n

The support shown to military members and veterans was extraordinary. The veteran certifying officials in Oregon State\u2019s Military and Veteran Resources Center and in the Office of the Registrar provide services to veterans going to school for the first time or returning to school for the second, third, or fourth time \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

If you are in the military or in military transition to school, you definitely should take a look at Oregon State University.<\/p>\n

\n

You can be like Matt and take the next step in your career by earning a graduate degree or certificate in conservation and natural sciences online with Oregon State.<\/em><\/p>\n

Explore programs<\/a><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/span> 2<\/span> minute read<\/span><\/span>“Here’s my advice to anyone who is considering going back to school: Go for it! There is no better time than now. … Education is an investment in yourself, and you are worth it. OSU Ecampus was user-friendly, with great support.” \u2014 Matt Bowling, Oregon State Ecampus graduate<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":56,"featured_media":2052,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,6,3,8],"tags":[205,638,637,544],"class_list":["post-2051","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all","category-ecampus","category-features","category-students","tag-college-of-earth-ocean-and-atmospheric-sciences","tag-conservation-and-natural-sciences","tag-masters-in-environmental-sciences","tag-osu-everywhere"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Matthew-Bowling-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7BNSE-x5","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2077,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/oregon-state-everywhere-justin-nelson\/","url_meta":{"origin":2051,"position":0},"title":"Oregon State Everywhere: ‘Consider where you want to go, not where you are’","author":"Justin Nelson","date":"August 8, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Justin Nelson says the topics covered in Oregon State's online environmental sciences master's degree program are ideal for helping students who want to change careers \"break into new markets and industries.\" Earning a master's led Justin to a new role working in corporate sustainability strategy.","rel":"","context":"In "All Stories"","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Justin-Nelson-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Justin-Nelson-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Justin-Nelson-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Justin-Nelson-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2163,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/environmental-sciences-online-masters-kaitlin-thurman\/","url_meta":{"origin":2051,"position":1},"title":"Environmental sciences online master\u2019s program yields career rewards for graduate","author":"Tracy Scott","date":"November 9, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"When she retraces the path that led to her current role as an environmental analyst for local government, Kaitlin Thurman points to four ways Oregon State Ecampus and its environmental sciences master's program helped make her dream a reality.","rel":"","context":"In "All Stories"","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Kaitlin Thurman, a master's in environmental sciences graduate, wearing a cap and gown","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Kaitlin-Thurman-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Kaitlin-Thurman-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Kaitlin-Thurman-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Kaitlin-Thurman-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1319,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/environmental-sciences-online-heath-blackmon\/","url_meta":{"origin":2051,"position":2},"title":"Oregon State Everywhere: \u2018My Ecampus degree gave me an edge\u2019","author":"Heath Blackmon","date":"January 17, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"\"The quality and the rigor of courses that I took at Ecampus were on par with any in-person class and prepared me for a future in science. Even though my classes were taken at a distance, the professors built learning activities that gave me firsthand experience in analyzing and interpreting\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "All Stories"","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Heath Blackmon, Oregon State University Ecampus environmental sciences graduate and assistant professor at Texas A&M University","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Heath-Blackmon-744x478.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Heath-Blackmon-744x478.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Heath-Blackmon-744x478.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Heath-Blackmon-744x478.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2738,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/esteban-contreras-upcea-student-award\/","url_meta":{"origin":2051,"position":3},"title":"Student’s sacrifices lead to a ‘deeply rewarding’ experience \u2014\u00a0and a national award","author":"Esteban Contreras","date":"March 26, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Family support, perseverance and student club engagement have helped Esteban Contreras thrive while pursuing his environmental sciences degree online Editor's note: In March 2025, Oregon State University's Esteban Contreras received the outstanding student national award from UPCEA in honor of his achievement of excellence in pursuit of an education. The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "All Stories"","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Oregon State University student Esteban Contreras stands with his wife and two young children on a wooden walkway surrounded by tall, green foliage.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Esteban-Contreras-ENSC-800x450-2.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Esteban-Contreras-ENSC-800x450-2.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Esteban-Contreras-ENSC-800x450-2.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Esteban-Contreras-ENSC-800x450-2.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 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2018","format":false,"excerpt":"To meet the demand for geography and geospatial professionals in the national job market, Oregon State University now offers a bachelor\u2019s degree in geography and geospatial science 100 percent online, giving learners everywhere access to highly transferable skills in order to harness the power of \u201cbig data\u201d analysis and geovisualization\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Archives"","block_context":{"text":"Archives","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/archives\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A map of the United States with different regions marked in green, purple and orchid shades.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/ggs-census-map.jpg?fit=774%2C266&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/ggs-census-map.jpg?fit=774%2C266&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, 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