Jesus "Jesse" Romero, family man, Navy Veteran, and Training Support Center Hampton Roads (TSCHR) command security assistant, obtained a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of Phoenix.

Originally from El Paso, Texas, Jesse moved to Tempe, Arizona when he was 14, and at the age of 18, joined the U.S. Navy. He started pursing his degree when he was active duty. Once he retired from the Navy, he decided to get serious and complete his degree.

Jesse admits having a family, full time job, and attending college was no easy feat.

"Quite often I got discouraged. Most of it was mental stress, but I kept reminding myself that I was not only doing it for myself but more for my family [more] than anything else," said Jesse. "I also had a great academic advisor that would motivate and encourage me to keep pushing."

Jesse is married with five children whose ages range from 1 to 13, yet he still obtained his goal.

"Anytime I made sacrifices for my family it was hard; whether school or having to deploy," said Jesse. "It's definitely been worth it. It has given me opportunities to provide things for my family that I was not able to enjoy in my own life growing up."

Jesse has five brothers and two of them have earned their degrees.

"My biggest mentor always has been my older brother, Martin. He has accomplished a lot in his life and has sacrificed a lot himself in order to get to where he is at now," said Jesse. "He's not only been there for advice, but he has also been an example to me and shown me how successful I can be."

Jesse chose to attend the University of Phoenix which has a campus that is located in Virginia Beach, so the majority of his classes were completed on campus. In order to obtain his degree quicker, additionally he took online courses.

Jesse credits his wife of 13 years, Monica, for his success.

"Monica's name should also be on the degree that I received because I feel that it has been earned by both of us," said Jesse. "I am blessed to have a wonderful and beautiful family. Along the way, I always tried to keep reminding my wife that the degree wasn't just mine but that it was just as much hers because of all the work and sacrifice that she had to put in to keep the house in order. Even more than just the house, she is the best mom that anyone can ask for. She always made sure that the kids were taken care of, but even more importantly she'd always comfort them and reassure them that everything was ok while I was off at school or studying hard at the library. I could not ask for a better family."

When asked if he had any words of wisdom for junior Sailors he said, "Every day is a training day in life, whether it is in your career, schooling, or just life in general. Do not let time keep you from learning anything new in any of these areas in your life because it's never too late to accomplish your goals."

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