Family Focused: Seth earns his master’s degree
When Air National Guard Member Seth Porter enrolled at UNH College of Professional Studies (UNH), he joined the first class to transition from Granite State College (GSC) into UNH. Having just completed his bachelor’s degree in operations management, he experienced how a personalized online model could be strengthened by access to the resources of the state’s flagship research university. That transition marked an institutional milestone and the beginning of Seth’s next academic and professional chapter.
Seth graduated from Granite State College summa cum laude after nearly two decades of accumulated coursework, certifications, and professional training. His path to completion began years earlier when he explored liberal arts, conservation biology, and business programs, worked full-time in skilled trades and later in supervisory roles. Joining the Air National Guard reset his education clock, again, immersing him in technical schooling, leadership development, and professional military education.
Like many adult learners, Seth never lacked motivation. He lacked a flexible structure to accommodate real life. Balancing military service, career growth, and family responsibilities made traditional classroom schedules unrealistic. The selfpaced, online model at GSC allowed him to make progress without putting the rest of his life on hold.
“A more traditional class setting would not have allowed me to succeed,” Seth explains. “By committing to early mornings, maintaining consistent routines, and leaning on the support of my family, I found a sustainable balance between work, service, health, and education.”
Coursework happened before sunrise, during lunch breaks, and after his children, Lucas and Hailey, were asleep. Audiobooks filled commute time. Weekends required careful planning. Success depended on discipline, communication, and integrating college courses into daily life rather than separating it from everything else.
With a career spanning technical services management, aircraft maintenance, and operations leadership, pursuing a master’s in project management (MSPM) was a natural evolution for Seth. Although he does not formally hold the title of project manager, much of his work at the owner operated Stanley Elevator Company is project-based. In an organization where large initiatives and cross-functional collaboration are common, mastering the tools and language of project management offers relevance. As Seth describes,
“Understanding the processes, methods, and language of project management helped me thrive in an organization where much of the work is collaborative and project-based.”
He began applying frameworks, templates, and planning tools directly to his work, improving organization across initiatives. The shared language of project management also gave him greater confidence contributing to complex, multiyear efforts.
Throughout the program, Seth prioritized habits that sustained his focus: protecting family time, maintaining physical and mental health, and using digital tools efficiently. Seth notes,
“Education doesn’t require stepping away from life. It requires learning how to integrate it.”
Leadership and organizational behavior coursework further shaped his experience, strengthening his approach to communication, adaptability, and team dynamics. He credits several faculty members for influencing his journey, including Karen White, Arti Varshney, Michelle Newsome, Keith Wade, and Caroline Groves, whose passion for teaching and professional experience grounded theory in practice.
Service remains central to Seth’s life. In addition to reenlisting in the Air National Guard and retraining as a logistics planner, he volunteers with the Hillsborough Area Renewable Energy Initiative (HAREI), a New Hampshire–based nonprofit focused on implementing sustainable energy practices for homeowners. He also supports youth programs such as Scouts. These commitments reflect a guiding principle he applies as an employee, parent, and community member: service above self.
Seth’s capstone project became a meaningful culmination of his studies. Drawing on his volunteer work with HAREI, Seth designed, permitted, and managed the construction of a multipurpose pavilion at his home to support a solar energy installation. The project required stakeholder management (his wife, Tiffany, above all), budgeting, scheduling, contractor coordination, permitting, and system commissioning. Despite challenges including shifting timelines and a New Hampshire winter, the project delivered renewable energy, functional space, and long-term value for his family. As Seth describes,
“I use the tools and frameworks from my degree program every day. My capstone wasn’t theoretical. It was a real project with real risks, real stakeholders, and real outcomes. Applying what I learned to a project my family will benefit from made the experience incredibly meaningful.”
Graduating with a 4.0 GPA was a significant milestone, particularly after a nontraditional academic journey. As the first in his immediate family to earn a master’s degree, Seth views the accomplishment not as an endpoint, but as an example for his children:
“The best thing we can do for our children is show them anything is possible when we put in the work.”
Seth began his journey seeking advancement and stability for the people he loves. What he found was a community that respected prior learning, faculty who challenged and supported him, and an academic framework that strengthened the leadership and service he already valued.
Whether helping with homework at the kitchen table, attending activities, or encouraging curiosity and service, education is not separate from fatherhood; it is an essential part of it.