Taking place on May 12th, Hallmark University will hold its Spring 2018 Graduation Ceremony and recently announced that retired Four Star General Donald G. Cook of the United States Air Force will be attending and speak at the graduation event. General Cook has visited Hallmark University before and praised not only the successes the university has seen in recent years, but the methods Hallmark takes to make a change in higher education.
During his thirty-seven-year service record, General Cook spent a great deal of time leading the training programs at multiple air force bases and considers his role as the Commander of Air Education and Training Command for Randolph Air Force Base to be the pinnacle of his career. After retiring in 2005, General Cook has served on multiple corporate boards, including USAA Federal Savings bank, and acting as a consultant for the world’s largest defense contractor, Lockheed-Martin.
General Cook spoke positively of the support Hallmark University shows for its large military population, and closely compared Hallmark’s character training program to the USAF’s core values. “This is a great way to get a 4-year degree, and it’s a quick way. Not only are you learning new skills, but you’re gaining foundational academics…and in basic training or ROTC at the Air Force Academy, you’ve got a set of core values, Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence in All We Do. Those are the three core values in the Air Force, and the same core values expressed by Hallmark University.”
Hallmark has been working to provide change to the way students receive their higher education, ranging from reduced tuition to accelerated training programs, methods that General Cook has said might change education for the better. “…there are four-year universities that I think are expensive and teach a lot of things that are not relevant in today’s world. So I defer to the Hallmark model and maybe there should be more Hallmark’s around the country.”