University of Maryland Global Campus

09/29/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/29/2026 05:37

A Daughter's Challenge Helped Her Father Finish His Degree

Finishing what he started

A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Stephen Parzyck started college in 2001 but soon put his education on hold as combat deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq took priority. Over the years, he returned to coursework several times, changing majors along the way. He eventually earned his associate degree in 2017 but was making only slow progress toward completing a bachelor's.

After retiring from the military, Stephen Parzyck settled with his family in Okinawa, where his oldest daughter, Sierra Parzyck, works for UMGC as an advanced testing military education coordinator.

At the time, Stephen Parzyck was working steadily, if not enthusiastically, toward a business degree.

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