Martin Buck, 69, always carried the long-term goal of obtaining a college degree. After graduating with an associate of arts degree from Lorain County Community College (LCCC) in 2020, he enrolled at UToledo through the University Partnership Program.
“It has always been a personal goal of mine to have a college degree,” said Buck. “At almost 70 years old, I will be the first in my family to have a degree.”
CELEBRATING SUCCESS: UToledo recognizes the Class of 2023 with a series of stories featuring students receiving their degrees at fall commencement.
Set to graduate in December with a bachelor of arts degree in liberal studies, Buck said he hopes that his accomplishments will inspire his friends and family — particularly his nieces and nephews — and let them know that it is never too late to reach your goals.
Nearly 50 years ago, Buck graduated high school and joined the Navy. He completed his basic training at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center and worked as a mechanical operator in the nuclear power program.
Following his training, he served aboard the USS Woodrow Wilson “Woodie Woo” SSBN 624, a Lafayette class ballistic missile submarine. Buck served on the Woodie Woo in the Atlantic Fleet, now the U.S. Fleet Forces Command, during the midst of the Cold War before he was honorably discharged in 1976.
Following his naval service, Buck began taking college classes at LCCC, but he said it wasn’t until his wife’s death in 2018 that he became serious about obtaining his degree.
“My wife, Colette, was a middle school art teacher for most of our 20 years of marriage,” Buck said. “She stressed to her students the importance of college and I guess that rubbed off on me.”
To be successful in his college classes, Buck said that he applied many of the skills he learned from his previous work experiences to the classroom.
Martin Buck graduates in December and, at nearly 70, will be the first in his family to earn a college degree.
Buck worked on the assembly line at General Motors for 16 years before becoming a metallurgical technician and research assistant at a small manufacturing company, where he gathered and edited research papers from scientists across the globe, including the former U.S.S.R., for the proceedings of a metals conference. He also worked as an IT administrator at Rhenium Alloys in Elyria, Ohio.
When he was laid off from Rhenium Alloys in 2003, Buck decided he wanted to become his own boss and launched a computer business where he serviced his hometown Oberlin, Ohio, and surrounding areas with technical support.
His business grew as he conducted computer classes, created and maintained websites, and aided multiple authors with the process of publishing their books.
“I have been able to build on these experiences and use the knowledge and skills I’ve developed in my classwork,” Buck said.
After his retirement from a career in computers and information technology, Buck said he was naturally drawn towards the liberal studies major, where he could focus on humanities and social sciences.
As a part of his major requirements, Buck is working on completing a Senior Capstone project, which builds upon a concentration selected by the student.
“Perhaps because of my experience during the Cold War in our country’s nuclear deterrence force, for my Senior Capstone Project I chose to research the use of propaganda during the Cold War to malign the former Soviet Union and communism, and to promote democracy and capitalism domestically and abroad,” Buck said.
Matthew Reising, Buck’s former academic advisor, said it felt like a full circle moment once he became the faculty advisor for Buck’s Senior Capstone project.
Nearly 50 years ago, Buck graduated high school and joined the Navy.
“I started off as Martin’s academic advisor for our Liberal Studies program back in Fall 2020, and now I am bookending his college career as the instructor for his Senior Capstone class. It feels like a full circle moment, and it is exciting to be a witness to his educational journey,” Reising said.
“Being an advisor and instructor to non-traditional learners, such as Martin, is so rewarding because I find myself learning just as much from them as they do from me.”
After a long professional and academic journey, Buck will meet his lifelong goal of earning a college degree when he walks across the stage as a Rocket in December.
“Since my wife’s death, graduating from college has been a driving force in my life. After graduation, I plan to continue to study and learn by reading and visiting historical places.”
In addition to his post-graduation travels with his new wife, Kathleen, Buck said he also plans on developing his interests in loom weaving and gardening. He said he has a large floor loom project that he will work on during the winter months and a prairie garden that he will tend to during the spring months.
