U.S. Air Force veteran earning two associate degrees and three certificates

Jeremy Bahr, 40, is an exceptionally busy student at Dakota County Technical College. Jeremy is earning a 60-credit A.A.S. in Technical Management (graduating December 2022), a 60-credit A.S. in Business Administration (graduating May 2023), a 17-credit Supervisory Leadership certificate (completing December 2022), a 17-credit Quality Improvement certificate (completing May 2023), and a 17-credit Human Resource Management certificate (completing May 2023).

The curriculums for all five Business department programs (all 171 credits) are delivered 100 percent online. That approach to learning is ideal for working adults with family responsibilities. Jeremy holds a full-time job at 3M as a master lab technician—he was promoted from his role as a production operator in June 2022. He has worked at 3M since 2014.

Jeremy is married and has four daughters, four dogs, and two cats. Attending college fully online saves him money by reducing travel expenses while giving him a more flexible schedule and more time to be with his family.

Jeremy has also benefited from online coursework in another way. He is a U.S. Air Force veteran who served from 2002–2012. He was an aircraft fuel systems craftsman and was stationed at Hurlburt Field in Florida, Kunsan Air Base in Korea, and the Minneapolis–Saint Paul Joint Air Reserve Station. During his time in the USAF, Jeremy deployed several times, including to Iraq (Iraq War), Afghanistan (War in Afghanistan), Uzbekistan, and Kuwait. His rank at the end of his active service was staff sergeant or E-5.

“Jeremy has the ability to connect his knowledge and learning with the daily challenges he embraces in his workplace, and I am sure his contributions to his peers’ growth and development at work are equally impactful.”

Harold Torrence, EdD
Business Department Faculty
Dakota County Technical College

Jeremy related to Harold Torrence, his DCTC business instructor, that he has struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for a long time, causing him to limit his social interactions and stay in his comfort zone.

“Having the opportunity to take courses online and still be actively involved has helped me a lot,” Jeremy said. “Through these courses, I have been able to start coming out of my shell and share my experience with work and adversity with others and hope they are able to take away from me as I have taken away from them.”

Harold described how having Jeremy as a student in a number of business programs has been a pleasure and an honor, noting that Jeremy’s contributions to college learning communities are always relevant and profound.

“I have had the joy to see Jeremy grow in his confidence to lead,” Harold said, “and I am happy to recently hear the news that he has been promoted to higher operational leadership opportunities. Jeremy has the ability to connect his knowledge and learning with the daily challenges he embraces in his workplace, and I am sure his contributions to his peers’ growth and development at work are equally impactful. Thank you Jeremy for sharing your story with our community. You are a great example of resiliency and dedication to authentic learning.”

PTSD: Jeremy’s perspective

How did your service in the USAF bring about your PTSD?

I deployed to some not-so-great places and had quite a few close calls. I became weary of people and found it more and more difficult to be around them and except for having to work, I turned into a recluse.

What advice would you give military veterans who are dealing with PTSD?

Don’t be afraid to talk to someone. It took me eight years to finally start telling my wife things about my experiences so she could understand some of my quirks, routines, and why I avoid many areas.

How can family and friends help someone they love working to manage PTSD?

Don’t push for answers and always be ready with a nonjudgmental ear. You don’t always have to respond or ask more questions. Sometimes we just need to say what’s on our mind and leave it at that.

Are there ways PTSD can be prevented?

I think PTSD is unavoidable. You cannot see what is going to happen in the future. You can prepare all you want but when something happens it will still affect you in one way or another. It may not be noticeable to you, but others will see the changes.

Learn more about PTSD by visiting:

Air Force Medical Service: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

More about Jeremy…

Originally from St. Paul, Minnesota, Jeremy graduated from Arlington Senior High School, Class of 2000. He earned a CNC Mill Operation certificate from Hennepin Technical College in 2014.

He is excited about his new role as a master lab technician at 3M. His duties are centered on setting up and operating precision coating machines. He also helps scientists and researchers troubleshoot manufacturing processes.

“I enjoy seeing the process of new product development and the refinement of current ones,” Jeremy said. “I also like having something different to do every day and being able to be hands-on during the processes.”

After completing his studies at DCTC, Jeremy is open to transferring to Concordia University, St. Paul, to complete his Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.). His long-range career goals include obtaining a supervisory or management position where he is off the production floor, but still involved in the production process.

Jeremy has been married 10 years to his wife, Denise, who is a stay-at-home mom. Jeremy and Denise have four daughters, Hailee, 21, Hayley, 17, Alyssa, 14, and Paytyn, 11. The family has four dogs, Klyde, a Great Pyrenees, Kapone, a Great Pyrenees/Akbash, Jackson, a St. Bernard/shepherd, and Lana, a Staffordshire/mastiff, and two cats, Tiggr and D-Bo, both tabbies.

In his free time, Jeremy enjoys working on cars, fishing, target shooting, and playing videogames. He resides with his family at their new home in Henderson, Minnesota, a city of just under 1,000 residents in Sibley County.

Jeremy Bahr family gallery

Jeremy Bahr • Q & A

Jeremy Bahr

How did your service in the USAF help prepare you for technical college and your current career path?

I joined during a rough patch in my life. It helped me develop a solid foundation and learn not only who I was as an airman, but as a person. The Air Force’s core values are: Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence In All We Do. I have since replaced service with family, but I still try to live by those values in every aspect of my life.

What are your best memories from your USAF career?

My greatest memories will always be of everyone I served with and the relationships that were built. We were one big family and would do whatever we had to do to help one another.

What advice would you give students considering joining a branch of the U.S. Armed Forces?

Decide which branch fits you as a person the best. Everyone will have their opinion, but the decision is ultimately yours. I’d pick the Air Force, a little more laid back, more career options, and fewer deployments.

What do you like best about your technical management coursework at DCTC?

I like the flexibility the courses offer. Being able to attend online has allowed me to participate in class, interact, and share my experiences with others while being at home where I am comfortable. Without having the online option, I don’t think I would have been able to go through the program and be as successful as I have been. The instructors are great as well. They are very understanding when life gets in the way and always make time for questions or concerns.

What advice would you give students considering technical management as their career path?

I think it is a great place to start. Many of the classes directly relate to real life, which makes the information that much easier to understand.

Three words that describe you as a college student:
DEDICATED. HEADSTRONG. PROCRASTINATOR.

How has your coursework in the Business Administration program helped you better understand the corporate world?

I have been able to see where the breakdowns were in my previous career—and have learned how to approach and handle conflict, not just with others, but with myself as well.

How has your coursework in three certificate programs—Supervisory Leadership, HR Management, and Quality Improvement Management—complemented your work in your two associate degree programs?

The courses are all tied together. What you learn in one certificate program can be used to complete the next.

What person has influenced your life the most and why?

My dad has always been my biggest influence, and it wasn’t until he passed last year that I realized how much of who I am is because of him. He taught me how to skate, play baseball, and work on cars, but I learned the most just watching him. He took pride in everything he did and made sure everything was done correctly.

He worked two jobs, sacrificing time with us, but made sure he was there for the important days. When he lost his job and ultimately his childhood home, he kept his head up and did what he had to do to make sure everyone was taken care of.

Even as his health got worse, he went to work every day because he loved what he did. He would help anyone who asked for it and would talk to anyone who wanted to listen. He was one of a kind and made an impact on everyone he met.

He would always tell me that our word is the one thing that makes us who we are, to never tell someone you are going to do something if you do not intend on doing it, and to just be yourself.

Where do you hope to find yourself in 20 years?

I hope to be in a cushy desk job that allows me to work from home more than I need to be at work as I get ready to retire.

One word that best describes your experience at DCTC:

Life-changing

Jeremy Bahr • 12 Answers

1. Favorite sport or physical activity: Fishing
2. Place you would most like to visit: Wherever my wife decides the blue water looks the best
3. The most exciting thing you’ve ever done: Raising my children
4. Three things you would do if you won a $1 billion lottery: 1) Make sure my family is set for life 2) Donate to a good cause 3) Take my wife on a proper honeymoon
5. Best book or movie you’ve read or seen lately: Blazing Saddles or Shawn of the Dead—they are my go-to movies
6. Time period you would explore if you could time travel: The 1770s so I would really know what they meant when they drafted the constitution
7. One thing you most want to accomplish in your life: To do things my dad would be proud of
8. Your national bird if you were your own country: Peacock
9. Dream occupation: Retired
10. Person you would most like to meet: Someone my experiences helped to persevere
11. Skill you would most like to learn and master: Welding
12. Most important issue or problem facing humankind: The lack of accountability for one’s actions

Learn more about Business degree and certificate programs at DCTC by contacting:

Harold Torrence, EdD
Business Department Faculty
651-423-8606

Scott Gunderson, MPNA
Business Department Chair and Faculty
651-423-8295

Rahziya Akeem
Academic & Financial Aid Advisor
651-423-8583

More about the Technical Management program at DCTC…

The Technical Management program provides you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to succeed in leadership positions and enhance your career mobility. The program is highly individualized based on a your interests and previous experience when you complete a credit for prior learning (CPL) assessment process.

You can leverage your specific technical field with the required Business Management emphasis and further explore and incorporate more than one DCTC program as part of this degree.

Working conditions in technical management positions are typically similar to office team settings. Technical professionals fill supervisory and middle management roles in factories, companies, corporations, and industry.

Technical Management: Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) Degree
60 credits
DCTC Rosemount Campus • 100% Online

General and Operations Managers workplace/field opportunities¹

• Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
• Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods
• Management of Companies and Enterprises
• Administrative and Support Services

¹ SOURCE: Minnesota State CAREERwise Education

General and Operations Managers

Plan and coordinate the activities of organizations.

WAGE

This is a very high-wage career that pays well above the statewide median wage of $23.81/hour

Minnesota

Median: $42.37/hour
High: $63.78/hour

Seven-county Twin Cities metro

Median: $49.18/hour
High: $75.89/hour

OUTLOOK

In Minnesota, there are 63,290 workers employed in this very large career. This career is currently in very high demand and seeing high growth compared to other careers. Growth rate in Minnesota is 6.9 percent.

There will be a need for about 38,082 new General and Operations Managers to meet market demand between 2020–2030. This includes the demand due to replacement (workers leaving the occupation or retiring) as well as growth.

— Minnesota State CAREERwise Education