... get the best education possible.
Gary Kellogg
For somebody who never finished college, Gary Kellogg still managed to earn a comfortable living as an accountant.
After serving in the U.S. Air Force in the 1950s, Kellogg began working his way up the employment ladder. He overcame not having a college degree to become a controller for a large corporation. But Kellogg wouldn't recommend that today because the job market is too competitive.
"I think during the times that I grew up, (employers) didn't put as much emphasis on it," Kellogg said of having a college degree.
Kellogg said it now would be virtually impossible to follow the path he took as an accountant without a college degree.
"Even while I was working, I was a controller for a company and my peers had CPAs and MBAs and that type of thing," Kellogg said. "It's become considerably more competitive now."
That's why Kellogg wants kids to stay in school and be motivated about academics, because these days what you know is more important than who you know.
"The first thing I would strongly recommend would be to maximize your effort in school academically and get the best education possible," Kellogg said.
Kellogg attended several colleges throughout the country while he served in the Air Force, including Coe College, the University of Maryland and McNeese State in Louisiana. But he never found enough time to finish his degree.
"I bounced all over the place," he said. "I was stationed in the Air Force, and then when I got out I was a part-time student. I went to night school for I think 12 to 13 years. And I worked full time."
Kellogg regrets that his circumstances kept him from being able to attend college on a full-time basis directly out of high school.
"Growing up, we had financial restraints, and when I got out (of the Air Force), we didn't have the resources," Kellogg said.
— Pat Harty
