After 23 years in the U.S. Air Force, Michael Pugh '24 was looking for a place to complete his degree. Newly retired from his last duty station at NAS Patuxent River, he paid a visit to St. Mary's College of Maryland. "I really liked the campus," he said, "and the fact that the classes were small." He had experienced lecture halls with 300 students at larger universities.

He also liked the in-person classroom environment better than his impersonal online courses. “Everybody gets a chance to talk and discuss," he explained. "We all have our own ideas…but you hear somebody else and you’re like, I didn’t think about that.”

He's now on track to complete his degree, with a sociology major and a minor in educational studies. He recently starred in the performing arts production of "Dracula."