The 90,000-Mile Journey
In December 2008, Jonathan Pipkin earned his bachelor of science degree in environmental engineering from the University of Oklahoma School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science, celebrating the fruits of his labor in last May’s convocation ceremony. But this wasn’t Jonathan’s first time around the academic block. His first OU degree, conferred in 1988, was a bachelor of science which he has put to good use working for Halliburton in his hometown of Duncan for 11 of the past 18 years. So why does a full-time employee and father of three decide to spend eight years traveling 90,000 miles and spending 1,000 hours in his car? Well, it’s not just so he can listen to NPR.
Jonathan had climbed as high up the Halliburton ladder as his first degree could take him. He had served as a field chemist and scientist performing laboratory work, pre-job testing and quality assurance in field camps in Fort Smith, Wilburton and Duncan, as well as in customer service and direct sales. However, Jonathan observed an interesting phenomenon. Young engineers hired to work alongside him in the lab did not remain long in the lab. Because of their engineering background, they were given better opportunities for advancement within the company, including cement and fluid testing and hydraulic fracturing. Jonathan began to think that he, too, could move into a more challenging position, if only he had an engineering degree.
In the fall of 2000, Jonathan was readmitted to OU, but he would need to get up to speed in several math courses before admission to the College of Engineering. Recognizing his deficiencies in calculus and physics, he began acquiring the required courses at OU and Oklahoma City Community College. In the fall of 2004, he was accepted into OU’s School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science.
Mile by mile and course by course, Jonathan continued to make progress toward his engineering degree. On campus, he was met by enthusiastic and dedicated faculty members, who continued to inspire and motivate while demonstrating a high degree of professional ethics.
Jonathan passed the Fundamentals of Engineering exam, an eight-hour test administered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying. This makes Jonathan an “Engineer in Training” and thereby eligible to become certified as a Professional Engineer, awarded upon successful completion of the standard five years of work experience and passing of the PE exam.
Jonathan’s last semester as a student on campus was an emotional one. As he walked through Oklahoma Memorial Union on the OU Norman campus, he recalls having a heightened sense of what it meant to be a member of the OU family. He heard the tolling of the clock tower; he placed his hands upon the banister’s polished finish. He was, and continues to be, keenly aware that he is not the first, nor will he be the last, student to pass through these hallowed halls.
While it was not the first OU diploma Jonathan received, it was certainly the most anticipated. Jonathan’s supervisor is seeing his encouragement and Halliburton’s investment reap dividends. Jonathan’s wife of 20 years, Tracie, and their children – Winnifred, 16; Ross, 11; and Theadora, 7 – were Jonathan’s biggest fans as he walked across the stage at convocation. And if Jonathan has his way, it won’t be the last Pipkin with a diploma from the University of Oklahoma.
Jonathan had climbed as high up the Halliburton ladder as his first degree could take him. He had served as a field chemist and scientist performing laboratory work, pre-job testing and quality assurance in field camps in Fort Smith, Wilburton and Duncan, as well as in customer service and direct sales. However, Jonathan observed an interesting phenomenon. Young engineers hired to work alongside him in the lab did not remain long in the lab. Because of their engineering background, they were given better opportunities for advancement within the company, including cement and fluid testing and hydraulic fracturing. Jonathan began to think that he, too, could move into a more challenging position, if only he had an engineering degree.
In the fall of 2000, Jonathan was readmitted to OU, but he would need to get up to speed in several math courses before admission to the College of Engineering. Recognizing his deficiencies in calculus and physics, he began acquiring the required courses at OU and Oklahoma City Community College. In the fall of 2004, he was accepted into OU’s School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science.
Mile by mile and course by course, Jonathan continued to make progress toward his engineering degree. On campus, he was met by enthusiastic and dedicated faculty members, who continued to inspire and motivate while demonstrating a high degree of professional ethics.
Jonathan passed the Fundamentals of Engineering exam, an eight-hour test administered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying. This makes Jonathan an “Engineer in Training” and thereby eligible to become certified as a Professional Engineer, awarded upon successful completion of the standard five years of work experience and passing of the PE exam.
Jonathan’s last semester as a student on campus was an emotional one. As he walked through Oklahoma Memorial Union on the OU Norman campus, he recalls having a heightened sense of what it meant to be a member of the OU family. He heard the tolling of the clock tower; he placed his hands upon the banister’s polished finish. He was, and continues to be, keenly aware that he is not the first, nor will he be the last, student to pass through these hallowed halls.
While it was not the first OU diploma Jonathan received, it was certainly the most anticipated. Jonathan’s supervisor is seeing his encouragement and Halliburton’s investment reap dividends. Jonathan’s wife of 20 years, Tracie, and their children – Winnifred, 16; Ross, 11; and Theadora, 7 – were Jonathan’s biggest fans as he walked across the stage at convocation. And if Jonathan has his way, it won’t be the last Pipkin with a diploma from the University of Oklahoma.
