MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — By the time Dillon Matthews first set foot on Middle Tennessee State University’s campus to pick up his cap and gown, he was only days away from completing his bachelor’s degree. 

For the U.S. Army veteran, father of five, state emergency management professional, farmer and youth sports leader, that distance was not a sign of disconnection. It was proof that after years of trying to fit college around deployments and a life already full of responsibilities, he had finally found a university built to meet him where he was. 

Matthews will cross the stage at MTSU’s summer commencement Saturday, Aug. 8, earning a Bachelor of Science in Integrated Studies through University College’s Adult Degree Completion Program. He will become the first person in his family to earn a college degree and will soon begin MTSU’s Master of Science in Aeronautical Science program with a concentration in aerospace management. 

“Being able to finish what you started— it doesn’t matter how long it takes— put your head down, put in the work and finish what you started,” Matthews said. “That means more to me than I can put into words, honestly.” 

A new path through state service  

Matthews’ college journey began long before MTSU. While serving in the Army, including nearly 10 years of active-duty service with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, he pursued his bachelor’s degree through online coursework, but deployments and schedules that could change without warning eventually led him to put his education on hold. 

He medically retired from the Army in October 2023 and that same year entered the Tennessee Governor’s Veteran Fellowship, a program designed to help veterans transition into leadership roles in state government. He became the first fellow hired full-time by the Tennessee Emergency Management Authority, bringing with him experience as a training and operations manager with the 160th. 

Today, Matthews serves as TEMA’s state training officer. Colleagues — including former firefighters, law enforcement officers and other public servants — repeatedly encouraged him to give MTSU a chance. 

“They had nothing but phenomenal experiences with MTSU,” Matthews said. “They told me, ‘Give it a shot. Go finish it up. You need a degree to get where you want to be.’” 

More than 200 credits down, two classes to go 

Matthews came to MTSU after accumulating more than 200 college credits across years of study. He initially pursued history, a natural fit for the self-described “military history nerd” who developed a love of Germany while spending time there during his service. But the remaining course schedule did not allow him to finish at the pace he needed. 

Ready to move forward to graduate school, Matthews returned to University College advisor Denise Seyl with a direct request. 

“I went back to Denise and said, ‘Whatever degree I can do to get done now, please. I’m trying to start my master’s. I want to be done with this,’” Matthews recalled. 

After reviewing his record, Seyl found that Matthews had already satisfied every requirement for the Integrated Studies degree except for two classes. His response was immediate. 

“Let’s do it. Let’s get it done,” he said. 

Helping students build on previously earned college credit and experience is central to MTSU’s Adult Degree Completion Program. Flexible degree pathways, online courses and personalized advising allow students to continue their education while balancing careers, families, military service and other responsibilities. 

That flexibility was essential for Matthews. He and his wife are raising five children and expecting their sixth around Christmas. He also serves as president of a youth football and cheerleading organization in Cross Plains and helps run his family’s 20-acre farm. 

“Life is full,” he said. 

Support for the student and the veteran 

MTSU’s flexibility gave Matthews room to complete the work, while the people he encountered helped him navigate the process. 

As a student veteran, Matthews worked with the Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center to navigate his education benefits, registration and other requirements. 

“What we want to do is find out what a person’s goals and needs are and then offer wraparound services tailored to that individual,” said Hilary Miller, director of the Daniels Center. “We don’t want veterans running across campus from one spot to another. We want to do everything we can in-house.” 

Miller said Matthews’ many responsibilities are familiar among military-connected students, who often balance careers with obligations to multiple generations of their families. 

“Military service members have huge shoulders, and they carry so much,” she said. “The biggest challenge is getting them to understand that they can share some of that burden in our office.” 

Matthews said staff members communicated clearly, responded quickly and helped him understand what he needed well before deadlines. Seyl offered the same direct guidance as his academic plans changed, explaining what was possible and what he needed to do next. 

“It was never a pushy moment — ‘You’ve got to do this,’ or ‘You can’t do that,’” Matthews said. “Every single staff member that I encountered went above and beyond to try to help get your needs taken care of.” 

That support extended into the classroom. Matthews praised MTSU German instructor Roxanna McCommon, whose enthusiasm, patience and encouragement made her online course one of the best educational experiences of his life. 

“Having professors who are just, ‘Hey, I’m going to stop exactly what I’m doing and take this phone call’ — it’s everything,” Matthews said. 

Serving Tennesseans on their darkest days 

That support did more than help Matthews finally complete his bachelor’s degree. It positioned him for what comes next. 

After Saturday’s commencement, he will remain at MTSU to pursue the master’s in aeronautical science. By connecting military aviation with emergency management, Matthews hopes to strengthen his work through TEMA during disasters and use his degree to enhance his service to Tennesseans.” 

His state service has already taken him far from the “small backwoods, no-stoplight town” where he grew up. Through the Governor’s Veteran Fellowship and his work at TEMA, Matthews has met state commissioners and Gov. Bill Lee — opportunities he said he could not have imagined 20 years ago. 

But his motivation for serving Tennesseans is also personal. On Dec. 9, 2023, barely two months after his military retirement, a tornado destroyed his family’s home in Clarksville. Matthews, his wife and children were not home when it struck, but their recovery took nearly a year. 

“People don’t understand how much stress that puts on you, especially as a parent when you’re having to worry about how you’re going to take care of your kids and how you’re going to recover from this,” Matthews said. “Being able to be there for people across the state — that’s where I see myself.” 

His commitment to service extends beyond his work at TEMA. Through his family’s farm and his role as a Fellowship of Christian Athletes character coach, he also wants to mentor young people and prepare the next generation to lead. 

“We’re trying to be good stewards of the land and continue to provide food in our community and take care of kids,” Matthews said, “and just mentor and nurture the next generation to come up and take the mantle.” 

For Matthews, setting that example begins at home. 

Finishing what he started 

Becoming the first person in his family to earn a college degree carries special meaning for Matthews after years in which deployments, career transitions and family responsibilities repeatedly delayed that goal. 

“The older you get, life just has a way of showing you what your true priorities are,” he said. “I would not be where I am today without my lord and savior Jesus Christ and the love of my life, my wife, Courtney Matthews. I thank God every day for giving me my rock and best friend to continue building this life with.” 

When Matthews crosses the stage, his family will watch those priorities come into focus. With graduate school and greater leadership opportunities ahead, his bachelor’s degree will serve as both a foundation for his future and evidence to his children that a delayed goal does not have to become an abandoned one. 

“Being able to show my kids that this is where you get your work ethic from — and being able to finish what you started — that means more to me than I can put into words,” Matthews said. 

To learn more about the MTSU programs and resources that supported Matthews’ journey, visit the Adult Degree Completion Program at mtsu.edu/finishnow and the Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center at mtsu.edu/military.  

For more information on MTSU’s College of Graduate Studies, visit mtsu.edu/graduate.  

— Dustin Stout ([email protected])