After the military, UAGC Faculty member James Bond had a choice to make.
He had served in the U.S. Army. for eight years, and Bond was ready to move on to a civilian career, and he felt his career path was trending toward a position with the U.S. Border Patrol.
His background check would take a whole year to clear, so to pass the time, he started taking classes to earn promotion points. In a twist of fate, Bond joined a work-study program, which mirrored his own need-based experience with transitioning into the civilian sector.
However, it was clear to others around him his personality was a natural fit for another sector.
“My supervisor asked, ‘Why are you going into the Border Patrol? I see you talking to students here. Why don’t you take classes and apply for some jobs here?’ So I did.”
Mr. Bond also applied for a position in the institution’s student activities office, kick-starting his career working directly with military students. Being on the other side of both processes helped him develop a knowledge set that gave him further perspective on what his fellow veterans were going through.
“A lot of the skills that weren't necessarily rewarded in the military are the things that made me successful in that role,” Bond explains. “Had I not had a supervisor that woke me up to that, I don't think I would be as happy. I probably would have been successful in border patrol, but I wouldn't be as fulfilled.”
Now, the UAGC professor specializes in optimizing work-study programs for students and military veterans. His knack for human connection and building intrapersonal relationships was the keystone detail that spurned a successful career. Since then, he has expanded the work-study program for every institution where he has worked.
“For students that come to us who are looking for a change in life, being able to do that work-study program, be around educated people, and having supervisors get to really see them and expose them to different ideas — it's just a very powerful thing”
Finding Success Across the Globe
Bond is aware he keeps a famous name. Much like 007, he has traveled the world carrying out missions of his own, albeit in a less glamorous fashion.
During his Army career, Bond spent a two-year deployment in Saudi Arabia, living in triple-degree temperatures. The heat was so extreme, that his team could only work at night. South Korea was a fond experience, as he had further opportunities to explore the country with his cohorts.
“Korea was probably my favorite duty station,” he says. “They moved my whole battalion to set up the Patriot missile system. I had already been with that unit for a year. To spend another year with them exploring Korea is rare in the military, to travel with a group that you've already made relationships in. That was a good time for me.”
Despite enjoying his time in active duty, joining the military was not Bond’s original plan. Growing up in a majority white neighborhood in Chesapeake, VA, he experienced a strict Baptist upbringing and no immediate family close by. Due to a strong will, he says he was “pushed” into enlisting.
“That was a big part of me being sent to the military,” he says. “There were always a lot of expectations for us, and I was the rebellious one.”
Success runs in Bond’s family. He is a junior named after his father, James Bond Sr., with an educated mother who worked during his schooling years. His aunt, Yvonne B. Miller, was the first African American woman to serve in both houses of the Virginia General Assembly and even has a high school named in her honor. As the oldest of three boys, one of his little brothers is a judge.
Enjoying His Current Career
In his professional ventures, Bond holds a diverse background, working in research 1, private non-profit and for-profit institutions, and community colleges. His approach includes pitching work-study programs to institutions and collaborating with them to develop the infrastructure and resources needed to succeed. Bond has assisted several schools, including three universities in Southern California, to open student veteran resource centers that have hands-on impact on the community.
“If students don't have a lot of professional development, like if they've only worked retail, or if they're trying to get more corporate jobs,” he says, “having that exposure to this environment, understanding how things work, or just being able to see themselves in these roles is greatly helpful to their transition.”
Offering a brick-and-mortar setting to help active-duty and veteran students is just another avenue for forming connections alongside online courses, and having student interaction with the programs is mutually beneficial to the schools as well.
“Here, students can actually see the programs and services we’re building and can have input into making them better or more impactful, or even just increasing utilization,” Bond says. “I think that's part of what the students give to us.”
Enlightenment Through Education
Bond joined the UAGC family in 2018. He currently teaches Developing Skills & Strategies for Success, alongside his work with the School of General Studies team on the development of a new orientation course.
Overall, he says the relationships he makes with his students is the aspect he is most proud of in his career. He even made a video titled How A Psychology Degree Saved My Life, the likes of which are still used today as course materials for UAGC faculty teaching Psychology 101 courses.
Earning a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology* also provided the foundation for Bond to form a deeper understanding of the pedagogy behind his work. Through the practices of “problem-solving, institutional versatility, and learning from differences,” Mr. Bond is able to execute stronger, more effective relationships in all areas of his life.
“Psychology helps me connect with people,” he says. “Before I just saw differences as challenges. With my work, with my wife, with my family, with my life, with all my interpersonal relationships, I can now see the value in some of those differences. It makes it easier for me to find avenues for connection to working with people to accomplish common goals, and sometimes even those differences, through the lens of psychology.”
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*UAGC psychology degree programs are not designed to meet the state educational requirements for a specific professional license or certification in any state. Students seeking licensure or certification in a particular profession shall carefully research the requirements prior to enrollment and regularly review the requirements as they are subject to change. Requirements vary by state. The University of Arizona Global Campus does not guarantee that any professional organization will accept a graduate’s application to sit for any exam for the purpose of professional certification. Further, a criminal record may prevent an applicant from obtaining licensure, certification, or employment in their field of study.
UAGC psychology degree programs are not licensure programs and do not prepare an individual to become a licensed psychology professional.