Employee Reaches Graduation Goal Nearly 40 Years Later

“I figured I would give it one last shot.”

Louisville Water Cross Connection Specialist Tim Meyer completed his bachelor’s degree nearly 40 years later from when he first started college at Eastern Kentucky University.

“When I first started at EKU back in the fall of 1986, I majored in Fire Science and Safety Engineering in the Industrial Risk Management track. That degree is not offered anymore,” Meyer said. “Post (September 11) they broke off the programs into (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), Homeland Security and Fire Science. When I jumped back in, the OHSA program would have taken much longer to complete. So, I jumped to the General Studies degree, a great alternative for returning, non-traditional students.”

Meyer and his family have strong ties to EKU. He met his wife there and took a break from his studies to get married and start a career at Louisville Water.

Although he set his studies aside, he always had the desire to finish. Louisville Water’s tuition assistance program helped him along the way.

“I utilized the tuition assistance from 1991 to 1999, taking in-person classes at (University of Louisville) and (Jefferson Community College), transferring (credits) down to EKU. For a few years I would drive down to EKU a couple nights a week. That’s when I worked at the old Middletown sub-station. In 1999, I finally ran out of classes to take to finish the program,” Meyer said. “That was before online classes. I would have had to quit to finish up and I was too far into my career to go that route. I only wanted to graduate from EKU, I met my wife there and have lifelong friendships from my time there.”

When it comes to reaching a goal, Meyer said it is never too late.

“No matter what your age, we should always strive to gain knowledge. Every campus has advisors that specialize in helping non-traditional students. Teachers also love to have older students in class to give life and career experiences and it helps younger students gain perspective. It can be a bit intimidating at first, but like anything else if you give it some effort it becomes second nature,” Meyer said. “I now have a B.A. in General Studies with a Minor in Fire Protection Administration and an A.A. in Military Studies.”

An added bonus, Meyer graduated from EKU alongside his daughter Isabelle. His daughter earned a bachelor’s degree on the same day from the same school that means so much to him.

“My daughter has a B.S. in Education P-5 (primary focus) and she will probably start a Master’s program next fall. She is a fourth-generation educator to graduate from EKU going back to 1924,” he said. “This is an amazing accomplishment to do together. It was purely coincidence that we finished the same semester. “

Meyer said support from his colleagues at Louisville Water helped him reach the finish line.

“I worked around some highly educated people at Crescent Hill (treatment plant) and they all encouraged me along the way,” he said. “I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge (Vice President of HR) Terrence Spence for offering the tuition assistance program to part-time employees. The financial part was kind of holding me back. I owe him for giving me that opportunity to complete my goals. Also, I want to thank (HR Coordinator) Lorna Bille for administering the program. She was extremely helpful getting me signed up and on track.”

Meyer wants to return the favor and encourage other employees to start or finish a degree.

“I would suggest to any employee to take advantage of the program. It’s free money to further your education. If anybody has any questions about going to school, feel free to reach out to me. No better time than before the upcoming Spring semester.”