After six years as a full-time correctional officer for the state of Arizona, Micah Solomon has decided to pursue a new career path — one that his upcoming degree from Southeastern Oklahoma State University’s Bachelor of Science in Occupational Safety and Health online program will help him reach.
With plans to graduate by May 2024, Solomon is pursuing the B.S. degree with the goal of becoming a safety officer.
“I love safety. It’s something that I’ve really cared about. It’s a passion that I have, and it’s a career that I want to follow. I love helping people,” he said. “Working in a prison has been good, but it’s not where I want to spend the next 20 years of my life. I figured what better time than now to better myself and my options by furthering my education.”
Solomon lives in Tucson, Arizona, where he was born and raised. He describes the area as “a lot of desert but also a lot of beautiful mountains, beautiful weather, and no snow.” He is keen on working in one of southern Arizona’s many copper mines, even though he will likely need additional schooling with the Mine Safety and Health Administration.
“The safety field is something that’s never going away. Safety will always be a priority for any company that cares about its employees, so I like the job security there,” he said.
No Holds Barred
Solomon’s commitment to his studies shows in the 3.8 GPA he has maintained since transferring to Southeastern. The online format was the initial draw to the program, and it has meshed with his work schedule.
“Even though the online program was fairly new, it already had great reviews,” he said. “What solidified it for me was my advisor. She made everything so easy and welcoming. I felt like Southeastern was where I needed to be. Once I found this online program, I didn’t need to look anywhere else,” he said.
Solomon often completes assignments in the evenings, and he enjoys the option to select accelerated courses that last seven weeks or take the traditional 16-week courses for topics he feels he needs more time to focus on.
While he is still working to complete his general education basics like history, math and English, he has also gotten to take some exciting electives at Southeastern including classes in art appreciation and the history of American rock and roll.
First Responder
Solomon enjoys the helping professions, and his career choices demonstrate that passion. He worked as a firefighter and EMT for about three years before making the transition into his current job as a corrections officer.
To ensure safety within the prison system, he checks fire extinguishers and takes other preventive measures to keep inmates and staff safe. However, he looks forward to expanding his areas of expertise.
“Since starting the program at Southeastern, I became the fire safety liaison within my unit,” he said.
Going back to school was on his to-do list much longer than he had planned, and he advises others to speed up that process.
“There’s no point in waiting,” he said. “If you know what you really want to do, just go for it and enjoy it because life goes fast.”
Stop in the Name of Love
Finishing school is important to Solomon for multiple reasons, with setting an example for his 7-year-old daughter in the top few.
“I learned that I’m capable of doing more than I give myself credit for,” he said. “I always thought school would be too much to take on while working full time and being a single dad, but I quickly found that it is not as hard as I thought it would be in my head.”
His family and friends have been supportive of his educational pursuits and surprised with all he has been able to juggle.
“They’re all very proud of me,” he said. “They like that I’m working on something to better myself and my future.”
Solomon is a planner who likes to look at maps, so it’s not surprising that he is enjoying the geography course. He is thinking of taking a road trip to the Southeastern campus to cap his experience as an online student.
“I would love to drive out there with my fish-and-ski boat and visit Lake Texoma. Why not make it a little vacation while I’m out that way?” he said. “I would love to walk in the Southeastern graduation ceremony. That would be so incredible.”
It may be the perfect vacation, given his love of hunting, fishing and hiking. In fact, Solomon spends whatever downtime he has enjoying the great outdoors, with archery, four-wheeling or outings with his daughter being his favorite ways to enjoy it. When the pandemic abates, he plans to indulge his love of travel and live music, too.
Finishing the bachelor’s degree program is Solomon’s top priority right now, along with enjoying the summer off from school with his daughter. He hopes to buy a house in the next year or two and settle down.
“Southeastern gave me a lot of confidence and a lot to be proud of. I’m really happy I started this journey.”
Learn more about Southeastern Oklahoma State University’s online B.S. in Occupational Safety & Health program.