After earning his GED at 16, Brian Triliegi returned to college decades later and is now graduating with a Bachelor of Applied Science in organizational leadership from Wichita State.
Brian is one of more than 2,100 students eligible for spring 2025 graduation. Learn more about his time at Wichita State and what's next for the grad.
What degree will you be earning in May?
Bachelor of Applied Science in organizational leadership and learning
What is your hometown?
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
What schools did you attend before coming to Wichita State?
I received a GED at age 16, with a score high enough to be accepted at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Then life happened. Essentially, it took me 44 years from start to finish.
Why did you choose ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½?
The people! From the moment I toured the Organizational Leadership and Learning Department, I knew this is where I would complete my degree. It was readily evident that the goal of the entire department was individual student success.
What has been your biggest challenge as a student, and how did you overcome it?
As an adult learner performing full-time shift work, my challenge was simply time management. I overcame this by focusing on each class and assignment one at a time and did not dwell on what was on the horizon.
Did you have any applied learning experience as a student? If so, what was it?
Although I did not have formal training, decades of leadership in my career field gave me the foundation, and my ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ degree gave me the ability to put it all together.
What are your plans after graduation?
I have been accepted to the graduate degree program at the University of Colorado- Boulder, where I will be studying for a masterβs degree in organizational leadership.
What advice would you give other Wichita State students?
Keep your forward momentum, and do not stop! One class a semester is still forward progress.
If you were given the opportunity to do a TED Talk, what would your topic be?
Perseverance in the face of adversity.
About ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½
ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ is Kansas' only urban public research university, enrolling more than 23,000 students between its main campus and ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ Tech, including students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries. Wichita State and ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ Tech are recognized for being student centered and innovation driven.
Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students. The National Science Foundation ranked ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ No. 1 in the nation for aerospace engineering R&D, No. 2 for industry-funded engineering R&D and No. 8 overall for engineering R&D.
The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ main campus, is one of the nationβs largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.
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