Sierra Parzyck helped dad Stephen complete a degree 25 years in the making
Parents often encourage their children to pursue higher education. For Stephen Parzyck ’26, the encouragement came from his daughter.
After years of starting and stopping his college journey, Stephen Parzyck graduated from University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) alongside his daughter, Sierra Parzyck ’24, ’26, last spring, a milestone neither will soon forget.
Finishing what he started
A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Stephen Parzyck started college in 2001 but soon put his education on hold as combat deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq took priority. Over the years, he returned to coursework several times, changing majors along the way. He eventually earned his associate degree in 2017 but was making only slow progress toward completing a bachelor's.
After retiring from the military, Stephen Parzyck settled with his family in Okinawa, where his oldest daughter, Sierra Parzyck, works for UMGC as an advanced testing military education coordinator.
At the time, Stephen Parzyck was working steadily, if not enthusiastically, toward a business degree.
A daughter's encouragement
Then Sierra Parzyck noticed something her father had missed.
“Do you realize that if you change your education plan to general education, you would graduate by taking only three additional courses?” she asked him.
“I got all excited because I just wanted to finish my degree,” Stephen Parzyck said. “I was adamant that my children finish [their] degrees, and I didn’t want to end up being a hypocrite. I said, ‘Let’s get it done.’”
For Sierra Parzyck, helping her father finally reach the finish line was especially meaningful.
“My family and I had spent so many years trying to push him and motivate him to finish school,” she said, noting that having the opportunity to help him “was like a dream come true.”
Sierra Parzyck accelerated her studies by transferring college-level coursework completed in high school and taking a full course load. She earned a bachelor's in human resource management with a minor in East Asian studies in 2024 and completed her MBA this year at age 22.
She credited guidance she received during her studies with helping her successfully manage such an ambitious workload. Now, Sierra Parzyck is exploring opportunities to continue her education.
Stephen Parzyck also credited UMGC history professor Cord Scott, PhD, with helping him reach his goal.
“We became really close friends,” Stephen Parzyck said. “I've known Cord Scott since I took my last [required course] with him and never stopped talking to him.”
Stephen Parzyck ’26 Marine veteran and recent UMGC graduate
Reaching the milestone together
As Stephen Parzyck moved closer to graduation, Sierra Parzyck continued to support him.
“I would occasionally proofread his work and give him advice on what I would change,” she said. “I also provided emotional support and motivation to help him get through his work.”
Stephen Parzyck acknowledged the importance of that support, and sharing the journey with his daughter made the accomplishment even more meaningful.
“I’m so proud of Sierra,” he said, noting he didn’t need pictures or a video to remember the two graduating side-by-side. “That will always be inside of me.”
For the Parzycks, graduating together was a reminder that the significance of an accomplishment is measured not only by the milestone itself, but by the people who helped make it possible.
UMGC Families: Learning Across Generations: For many learners, earning a degree is a personal milestone. For the families featured in this series, it became a shared journey and a shared accomplishment. The UMGC Families series highlights how relatives are pursuing their educational goals together, supporting one another along the way. Their stories are a powerful testament to higher education's value and illustrate how its impact can ripple through families and communities.
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