David Petty:  

Before graduation I joined the Navy and reported to the USS Enterprise as a dental technician, following boot camp. Two years later I got out and stayed in Bremerton, Washington, where I married the first time for 2 1/2 years, and became a Nuclear Marine Pipefitter in the naval shipyard there. In 1983 I suffered a severed median nerve and lost most of the feeling in my dominant (left) hand. That month I met my second wife. We moved to Seattle and live there 23 years. in 1998 we moved to North Dakota, following my step-son and step-daughter and grand-children. I never had any children of my own. After spending over 20 years in inventory control management, and work hard to find in Minot, ND I became a Technical Customer Service Representative for Gateway for 2 1/2 years. In 2001 we moved to Minneapolis. There I got back into materials management and in 2006 I was diagnosed with non-hodgkins lymphoma. Treatments of chemotherapy and radiation and I ended up healed. A year later I divorced my wife of 25 years. Loooooong story. I left and at the insistence of my oldest sister, I moved to Springfield, Missouri where I am now. Starting a new life I decided I wanted to finally get my extended education. I wanted to get my degree in natural wildlife conservation and move back to Seattle and work in the fisheries. In spring 2009, I was accepted at Missouri State University. Three months into school I injured my back and am on 100% disabled. But I didn't quit school. I decided to keep working and find out where my academic strengths were. After a year I rekindled a passion I had in high school for writing. It's summer 2015 at the moment. I am taking two classes this summer and two more in the fall and I graduate with better than a 3.0 GPA. I am also a member of Sigma ...Expand for more