David Sparks Industrial Management Technology and A.A. Degree/ University Transfer Florida Community College, Class of 2007

Double Duty

David Sparks
Florida Community College, Class of 2007

Accomplishment is nothing new to David Sparks, who has already served for 20 years in the Florida National Guard. So why not go for two college degrees instead of just one? That’s just what David did, and he now has an associate degree in Industrial Management Technology and is working on his associate in arts (A.A.) degree from Florida Community College. He plans to study criminology at an upper-division university.

A native of Jacksonville, David grew up with two sisters and three brothers. He chose FCCJ because it was close to home and offered exceptional value. Being in the military, David also appreciated the online courses offered by the College, and he has taken advantage of them in pursuit of his degrees. But he didn’t miss out on the collegiate experience, citing the campus atmosphere as one of the strongest aspects of FCCJ.

One of his fondest memories of FCCJ will be the wisdom and the friendship he formed with the late Dr. Duane Dumbleton, president of Kent Campus and a longtime professor of social sciences and humanities. Of his entire experience here, David said, “FCCJ has been a great school, and I would recommend it to anyone just starting out.”

Of course, David won’t be content with just two degrees. “I want to either transfer to the University of North Florida or get my four-year criminology degree externally from the University of Florida,” he said. His ultimate goal is to earn a master’s or doctorate degree in criminology.

In the meantime, David is about to retire from the Florida National Guard and will be working as a civilian contractor with the Florida Army National Guard Recruiting and Retention Division. So even after a long military career and two degrees from Florida Community College, David is far from resting on his already-impressive laurels.