Jesse Hughes

I grew up on a small farm in Southern Indiana and all of the male members in my family were coal miners.  I knew I did not want to be a farmer or a coal miner so I entered college and majored in accounting.  After getting my undergraduate degree, I entered the military and spent 21 years serving my country.  While in the military, I earned a MBA.  Upon retiring from the military, I enrolled in a doctoral program and earned my Ph.D.  I spent the next 20 years, teaching accounting and serving in the Dean’s office at ODU.  Upon retiring from ODU, I spent the next 20 years traveling around the world helping 30 developing countries improve their financial systems.  None of the challenges that I faced were insurmountable as long as I was persistent.  I would encourage our students to remain persistent and they will also be successful in whatever career they choose to pursue.