Freix retired as a full colonel in 1994 after more than 27 years in the U.S. Air Force and now lives in Lansing. In 1996, he enrolled in the University of Kansas program in Overland Park. The former pilot has been able to use what he has learned in class in working with a friend who owns a technology integration business in Lenexa. Freix admitted going back to the classroom was a bit daunting after a gap of 20 years. It didn't take him long to realize that his military experience in managing people is one of the many things he has in common with his classmates from the corporate world.
Motivation is another shared trait.
They've weighed the risks and rewards, then committed themselves to the course. Like well-conditioned runners, they've got the stamina, flexibility, concentration and energy to not only pursue the degree, but to catch it.