New education officer implementing changes Published Feb. 13, 2015 By Kimberly Woodruff Staff Writer TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- It has been 45 years since Tinker has seen a new education officer, but Suzy Kalousdian isn't worried about the big shoes she has to fill following Dr. Lola King, who retired last year. In fact, Ms. Kalousdian worked with Dr. King twice, so she was already familiar and this is a less stressful move than it might be for some. Additionally, she said as long as the education office adheres to the AFSC Leadership Model common goals of People, Process and Resources, they will be prime to create an environment for success. "I love it here, the staff is just wonderful," said Ms. Kalousdian. "They are so positive, professional and welcoming. They truly love what they do and have made my transition seamless." Born in Heidelberg, Germany, to parents who were civil service, Ms. Kalousdian spent most of her childhood living in Europe and Asia. Ms. Kalousdian started her career here at Tinker as a test proctor, personnel clerk and guidance counselor before moving to Spangdahlem, Germany, to also serve as a guidance counselor. She later moved to Izmir, Turkey, where she was the education officer. Education is her passion. Currently, there have been a lot of changes to the regulations since October, and they are still being updated. Ms. Kalousdian said they are implementing the changes and handling them as they come along. "The Education Center is pro-student, so we'll always be a voice for our students," she said. "After the dust settles with the changes, we will assess all those changes and reach out to our customers." One thing she wants to do is to make a workstation in the office for students who are registering and needing to make updates to their online records, such as tuition assistance. "I don't want students to lose their momentum if we send them away to go complete something online before they can finish their request for tuition assistance," said Ms. Kalousdian. "We can be here to help guide and advise them through the process." Ms. Kalousdian said sometimes military personnel don't plan on making the military their career and sometimes it works out that they do. "Either way, the education center has produced a solid citizen to meet the demands of the outside world -- ready and capable of transitioning," she said. Ms. Kalousdian said she loves the field of education. "It is such a proactive and positive field," she said. "People progress forward because of their involvement with this office." On getting a bachelor's degree, Ms. Kalousdian was reminded of a young military man she once advised. She told him he really should consider getting his bachelor's and when he asked her why, she gave him an answer that profoundly changed his outlook. "A bachelor's degree is one of those things that you don't know how many doors are closed to you because you don't have it, until the opportunities start to present themselves when you do acquire it," she said. "You'll just think the opportunities weren't there before, when in fact, the opportunities didn't even exist for you." The young man has since left the military and is a civil service employee now. He told her that he's never forgotten that statement. Sometimes older students think that college students are just 18 year olds, when in fact, the average age of college students is 28. "The demographic has totally shifted as workers need to retrain to gain new skills to meet the needs of today's workforce," she said. "Your typical college student is no longer your 'typical' college student." She and the staff can empathize with students juggling work, family and finances. "We've all put ourselves through school," she said. "Everyone in the office understands the struggle. Tomorrow is going to come and there's nothing you can do to stop it and before you know it it's next year. "When that time approaches, you can either be at the same place you are today or arrive at the date with some classes under your belt. "Don't worry about only taking one class at a time and that you don't hold a degree immediately. Less than 50 percent of full-time students will even complete their degree in four years. While you're going to school, you have to remember you are gaining skills and will keep gaining new skills that you can utilize immediately, not just suddenly once that degree is awarded." Ms. Kalousdian said she's thrilled to be back at Tinker. "The mission is all for the benefit of the students," she added.