Greg was working more than 50 hours a week at Dominion Energy, completing a demanding high-voltage lineman apprenticeship, and balancing the responsibilities of adulthood that often push education to the sidelines. Most people would have seen Greg’s schedule and decided it was impossible. But at 30 years old, Greg made a decision that would transform his future. He returned to Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) to finish the degree he had once put on hold.

“I realized education wasn’t something I had missed my chance at,” Greg said. “It was still there waiting for me, I just had to commit to it.”

Greg attended night classes across NOVA’s Annandale, Alexandria, and Woodbridge campuses while continuing to work full-time. Semester after semester, he carried 12 to 15 credits while balancing long workdays and intensive training in his apprenticeship program.

“There were definitely exhausting days,” he shared. “But I kept reminding myself why I started.”

That commitment paid off. Greg graduated magna cum laude from NOVA in 2015 with an associate degree in Psychology before transferring to George Mason University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree summa cum laude with a 4.0 GPA.

But for Greg, the most meaningful part of his journey was not just earning honors, but discovering confidence in himself along the way.

“NOVA helped me realize I was capable of more than I thought,” he said. “It taught me discipline, persistence, and how to keep showing up even when life gets busy.”

As a returning adult student, Greg found inspiration in NOVA’s evening professors, many of whom balanced teaching with active careers in business and industry. Their real-world experience brought classroom lessons to life and helped Greg see how education connected directly to professional growth.

“These professors understood what it meant to work during the day and come to class at night,” Greg explained. “They brought practical experience into the classroom, and that made a huge difference.”

Employer tuition reimbursement played a critical role in making his education possible. Today, he encourages students to explore every available resource, from scholarships and grants to employer-sponsored education benefits.

“Education is an investment that stays with you for life,” Greg said. “Even taking one or two classes at a time can completely change your future over time.”

Now established in his career, Greg remains passionate about supporting education and workforce development opportunities for others. He continues advocating for NOVA’s Workforce Development programs and hopes to encourage more companies and professionals across Northern Virginia to invest in local students and educational institutions.

“When organizations support schools like NOVA, they’re investing directly into the future of the community,” he said.

Looking back, Greg hopes his story reminds others that it is never too late to begin again.

“You don’t have to have everything figured out,” he said. “You just have to take the first step and keep moving forward.”

Today, Greg serves as a Senior Project Manager for Dry Utility Coordination at DFM Development Services in Reston, Virginia, where he leads electric utility and telecommunications infrastructure projects for data centers, mixed-use developments, and large-scale communities across the Mid-Atlantic region. Working with utilities, engineers, and construction teams, he helps deliver the critical power and fiber infrastructure that supports the region’s continued growth. 

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