When Ross Giles first stepped onto the Western football field 35 years ago, he had no way of knowing what the next four years would hold. He couldn’t see then that he would play an important part in ushering in a new era in Mountaineer Football.
He didn’t know his mother would get sick in his senior year and that he would have to leave before graduation to help her. And despite the promise he made, Giles had no way of knowing that more than three decades later, he’d return to Western through the Adult Degree Completion (ADC) program and walk across the commencement stage to receive his diploma at age 55.
A Catalyst for Self-Improvement
Originally from Rockland County, NY, he hadn’t come to Gunnison with any of that in mind. But life happened, as it sometimes does. The part that defines him today is what he did next.
“While my departure from school was not part of the plan, it served as a catalyst for self-improvement,” Giles said. “It became evident to me that, regardless of circumstances, prioritizing integrity and kindness was essential for navigating life’s challenges and moving forward with purpose.” His purpose was to be an educator, helping to shape the lives of students with special needs.
From Junior College to Mountaineer Football
But first, the quality of his character caught the eye of Monica Brunig, a former recruiter for Western’s football program, who met Giles at a junior college in Minnesota and encouraged him to join the Mountaineer squad.
When he arrived in Gunnison, he found the town wasn’t what he was used to, but then, neither was Minnesota. After redshirting his first year, Giles became a key member of the Mountaineers’ special teams, joining at a time when the team was struggling to find a winning strategy, with back-to-back three-win seasons.
A Championship Season and Transition to NCAA
Then, finally, in his junior year, surrounded by an experienced and talented group of players, the team achieved a remarkable 10-2 season, clinching the RMAC Championship and securing a thrilling first-round playoff victory over Carson Newman of Tennessee, the national champion for three of the previous five years.
The following year, the Mountaineers built on their success and Giles saw Western transition from the NAIA conference to become a fully-fledged NCAA Division II team. Despite starting the season with a disappointing loss to the University of Northern Colorado, they won the next nine games and went on to win a second consecutive RMAC championship.
“[The coaching staff] showed a loyalty to me I’ll never forget,” he said. “Coach ‘Duke’ Iverson became a father-like figure to me.”
Challenges Beyond the Field
Unfortunately, Giles was about to face his biggest challenges off the field. After returning home to help care for his ailing mother, a cascade of events kept him from finishing his bachelor’s degree for more than 30 years.
“Despite my desire to return, the challenges I faced made it difficult to prioritize furthering my education,” Giles said. “Instead, while now raising a family, I embarked on a journey of personal and professional growth, holding various jobs along the way. Through these experiences, I learned valuable lessons about influence and communication, realizing the significance of integrity and kindness—values instilled in me by my parents.”
A New Purpose in Education and DEI
After leaving Western, he started a family and went to work as a high school paraprofessional in special education, where he learned firsthand how badly the school system needed to change to accommodate his students and their families. But without finishing his degree, he knew he would never be in a position to bring about those changes. So he continued his work and expanded his role to coach football and mentor college-bound students, all while pursuing professional training and certifications that would help advance his career.
After a decade, he earned a position as Student Achievement Advisor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the school district where he was working in Minnesota, supporting students from traditionally marginalized communities with measurable limitations. That’s when he realized that to help bring about the necessary changes, he would need to continue advancing his career. That, he knew, would require finishing his degree.
Completing His Degree Through Western’s ADC Program
“I was determined to overcome the obstacles standing in my way and ultimately achieve my educational aspirations, knowing that doing so would not only benefit me personally but also set a positive example for my children and future generations while delivering on a promise I made to my parents to finish,” he said.
Giles went online to look for opportunities to finish the degree he’d started 30 years prior and found Western’s ADC program, which Dr. Terry Schliesman had helped start in 2021 to address the needs of people who had some college credit but no degree. Today, that group numbers more than 40 million nationwide.
Giles was just one of those, and the opportunity to earn a degree gave him a leg up in his career aspirations. During a conversation with the ADC’s associate director, Eliza Ekstrom-Sullivan, Giles learned that he could meet all of his graduation requirements in just three semesters and two summer sessions, which was significantly less time than he would need to spend in other programs.
A Journey of Perseverance and Dedication
“Obtaining a general education degree would enable me to pursue an open position as a DEI Coordinator for the largest district in Minnesota,” Giles said. “This opportunity would not only add to my years of experience and expertise but also lend credibility to my practice, backed by a degree—an aspect that has always been important to me.”
But a degree was still more than a year and a half of hard work away. Still, he was determined to persevere through the adversity to reach his goal, just like he had years before on the football field.
“Nothing worth having comes easy, no matter what you do,” he said. “Balancing coursework deadlines, work commitments, and family responsibilities demands meticulous planning, adaptability, and self-sacrifice. These qualities are essential in maturing into responsible adults who are committed to giving back to the communities we call home.”
Are you considering Adult Degree Completion?
- Check out this overview of our Adult Degree Completion program
- Read about the grant money our Adult Degree Completion program received to help support students returning to school
- Learn about the COSI scholarship and see if you qualify
Get in touch!
- Director of Adult Degree Completion Terry Schliesman (tschliesman@western.edu), Ph.D., ADC
- Associate Director Eliza Ekstrom Sullivan (eekstrom-sullivan@western.edu)
- Extended Studies office (970-943-2885)
Author Credit: Seth Mensing
Photo Credit: Courtesy
