Biography
My name is Jason Wright and I’m originally from Saginaw, Michigan. After graduating from high school and trying as many avenues as I could, I decided to join the military for the change that I knew only the military could provide me. I joined the Marine Corps. Though I truly enjoyed serving on active duty I have since decided to exit active duty and have chosen the easier life of being a civilian. I wanted to still be affiliated with the military thus leading me to become a civil servant working for none other than the United States Marine Corps. I have lived in Okinawa, Japan for over 6 years now.

My passions in life are my children and music. My children are what keep me young, and help me keep my life in the right perspective. The power of play is extraordinary, for children and the child in me. Guitar is my instrument of choice. Without music, I would be lost in this world. Music inspires me, sets me free and keeps me sane. Though I have yet to meet anyone who dislikes music, I have a passion for it well above the average human.

Biography
There are many loves in my life; family, friends, travel, education, and of course Cold Case Files on A&E. I am easily defined by my enthusiastic charisma, being a dedicated wife and mother, and an avid socialite and karaoke hostess.

I was born in Hawaii, where I attended both public and private schools, then moved to Georgia after my twelfth birthday. I graduated from a public school in 2000, and continued on to college the following year. While working full-time at an insurance agency in 2001, I met my husband, Damon, and his daughter, Halle. We joke that I dated him to raise our sales for the quarter, and then married him to assure customer retention.

I had attended college in Georgia for two years when we received orders to Okinawa, Japan. The promise of an ever changing military life prompted me to enroll with the University of Phoenix online, where I chose to study International Business and Marketing. Two years later, in 2005, I was still working full-time and had only completed my first year of studies, so I decided to instead attend school full-time.

Early this year, I made a career change and began working part-time as a substitute teacher to allow more time toward my studies. I fell in love with this type of work, and have since changed my field of study to Psychology and Communication so that I may pursue a career in counseling.

In the past, I was somewhat skeptical about attending college on island because I wanted to assure my studies were not interrupted with a sudden relocation. However, much to our delight, this summer our orders were extended indefinitely; allowing me to return to a traditional university. After months of research and numerous counselor visits, this is my first semester with the University of Maryland University College, and I could not be happier with the experience.

Name Ashley Odomirok Degree level Undergraduate Degree Programs Political Science/History Site in Asia Okinawa

Biography Hi, my name is Ashley Odomirok and I am a full time university student at University of Maryland University College. I work full time at the Amerasian School. In my spare time, I enjoy reading books by authors like Silvana Paternostro and Isabel Allende, listening to music by artists like Marc Anthony, and dancing. I am happy to be on STAC and I am willing to listen to student’s questions, concerns, and praises regarding the university.