
Ed Walden
Growing up in a home that was keen on education, it’s not surprising that Ed Walden has completed a CAD Certificate at Owens Community College after already earning associate degrees in geography and general science.
Walden’s parents are both school teachers with dual master’s degrees, and his sister is a psychiatrist at the veterans affairs hospital in Cleveland.
“It’s always been a competition for us, I wouldn’t say who’s the smartest, but who can rack up the most educational accolades,” Walden said.
Now Walden can add one more to his list. Not only is he receiving his certificate, he’s received the School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Technology’s Outstanding CAD Certificate Award recognition for his work as well.
He wasn’t always on the path to educational glory, though. On a morning in 2012 during his fourth semester at Bowling Green State University, Walden decided he was done going to school. That same day, he enlisted in the U.S. Army.
It certainly sent some shockwaves through his family.
“I needed an answer to tell my parents why I dropped out of college,” Walden said. “I told them, ‘Hey, I dropped out but I did join the military,’ which I don’t think my mom was too happy about either of those situations. In the end, I think I wanted to be challenged in a way I hadn’t been, mentally or physically.”
Walden left the Army in 2018, spending 6 1/2 years at Fort Riley in Kansas, attending Kansas State University while he was there.
What he found at Owens was something missing from the larger state schools – a better student-to-teacher ratio. He’s used the experience and guidance of his instructors to help him recently land a job at Bayes Mechanical in Perrysburg.
“I’ve spent so much time after classes just talking to them,” Walden said. “(Instructor) Duane Shaffer has really given me a lot of solid advice. We had a 90-minute conversation before I got hired in at Bayes. How should I prepare myself for the interview? What should I be looking for in the office? How do I set up my workspace? I took like eight pages of notes, it was such a learning experience for me.”
He’s also worked with the Veterans Services Office at Owens. He said Owens is one of the best colleges in terms of helping veterans understand the process of going to school.
“Owens has the one veteran organization that I’ve seen help you work through the process and understand it,” Walden said.
Before anyone thinks Walden is content with two associate degrees and a certificate, he already has plans to return to Owens in the summer to finish his Tool and Die Certificate.
The rest of the Walden family has been put on notice.
Learn more about the CAD Certificate >>
Learn more about the School of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics >>
Published December 2024