Some Sailors aboard USS John C. Stennis are never satisfied with how much they have accomplished and strive to reach greater success throughout their careers and lives.

For these Sailors, one of the paramount achievements is a college degree.

Acquiring a college education while at sea may be arduous, but it can be a beneficial and meaningful challenge for any underway Sailor.

To begin courses, Sailors sign up through the ship's Education Services Office.

After developing a degree plan, attending a brief and getting a request chit approved by their chain of command, Sailors may register for classes offered by Navy College Program for Afloat College Education.

NCPACE is a program designed to give Sailors the opportunity for education even while they are underway and offers both instructor led and distance learning courses via disc.

"The distance learning courses accommodate Sailors without an internet connection," said Operations Specialist 2nd Class Megan Crow, NCPACE coordinator, from Tacoma, Washington. "It's a system designed for busy schedules, because it's self-paced."

Crow said the instructor led courses are a way for Sailors to interact with professional instructors, and take advantage of their tutoring.

Operations Specialist 2nd Class Wilber Pena, from Camden, New Jersey, completed an instructor-led course in English composition.

"At first, I thought about dropping the class, it seemed like too much to manage," said Pena. "I decided to see how far I could take it, and it worked out."

Pena finished the college course, while juggling in-rate qualifications, working toward his warfare pin and performing his normal duties. He found time for his classes and studies despite being fully involved in his work center, and even managed to take a little time for himself.

"It's all about time management," said Pena. "Work out, watch shows, relax and do your homework."

Pena added, keeping up with a class may be challenging, but the path itself is enjoyable and rewarding with the right attitude.

"Sometimes the class was an escape," said Pena. "Even though it was hard, it would take my mind off the ship's routine when I focused on my school work."

Some Sailors simply enjoy going to school and learning.

Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) 2nd Class Chelsea Dell, from Altoona, Pa. started her first college course in 2011 and has achieved her associate and bachelor's degree while on board.

"College education was a goal I had right from the start," said Dell. "My ultimate goal is to get a Ph.D."

Dell's education has been entirely facilitated through Navy programs, and she has not paid for anything out of pocket.

"It's incredible more Sailors don't take advantage of the education offered," said Dell. "You'll never lose what you know. It's very rewarding."

The programs Dell used on her path were NCPACE and Tuition Assistance. The advantage of TA is its flexibility in course choice. While NCPACE is limited to specific courses, TA allows Sailors to take classes from any accredited school, including technical or vocational education.

"TA can be seen as a loan," said Lt. j.g. David Tejeda, John C. Stennis' educational services officer, from San Francisco. "The program pays for your course, but if you don't pass you have to pay it back."

There's one downside to using TA while at sea: sporadic internet connection to participate in distance learning. Low bandwidth is not a valid reason for dropping the course, and, without further waivers, will result in the student paying for the course out of pocket.

"TA and NCPACE are great ways for Sailors to get ahead in their education," said Tejeda. "It's free education money that doesn't dip into your G.I. Bill, which can be saved until after your career."

For more information on enrolling into educational programs contact the ship's ESO.

Providing a ready force supporting security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific, John C. Stennis is operating as part of the Great Green Fleet on a regularly scheduled 7th Fleet deployment.

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