Favors participates in Gold Program
Amy Wolfinger
Issue date: 2/5/10 Section: News
The Army Green to Gold program is designed to offer enlisted soldiers in the Army the opportunity to earn commissions as Army Officers.
This program offers enlisted soldiers two unique opportunities to earn a baccalaureate degree: the Green to Gold Scholarship Option - for soldiers who are considering leaving active duty to attend college-or the Green to Gold Active Duty Option - for soldiers who want to remain on active duty and attend college.
Florida Southern College is currently home to one of the 300 Green to Gold program recipients. After two deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and eight long months of paperwork and physicals, junior Cliff Favors got the news that he was accepted into the prestigious Green to Gold program.
"Being accepted in to this program is a high honor. I was recommended by my higher-ups to apply and am the only enlisted student here at FSC who is in the Green to Gold program," Favors said.
He has the Green to Gold Scholarship Option so he would be able to complete school and not be taken out to deploy.
In 2006 shortly after marrying wife Liz, a graduate student at FSC, Favors deployed to Afghanistan for his second twelve-month tour of duty. Liz started making all the decisions for their new future together in Lakeland and decided that FSC had the most to offer them.
"When you deploy it is like you are totally stepping out of your life. You are no longer in control of the things that are going on at home and have to rely on the people you trust," Favors said. "My wife was amazing. She moved in with her parents, single handedly moved our belongings from North Carolina to Florida, got me situated into a great program and could still manage to pay all the bills on time."
Having joined the military for pride in his country, Favors did not plan on going back to college. But when the opportunity presented itself, it was a deal that could not be passed up.
"I couldn't believe that I was one of the chosen 300 enlisted military personal to be awarded the Green to Gold program," Favors said.
Getting into the college lifestyle was a challenge in and of itself. There were no longer rules to keeping rooms cleaned and being clean-shaven.
"Class size is a huge advantage at Florida Southern. I feel more knowledgeable having the one on one time with teachers," Favors said. "A pet peeve of mine is all the younger students' texting during class. There is a huge gap between us. Even though I look young, I don't act like it."
While in the Green to Gold program there is not a chance of being taken out of school for a deployment. The task at hand is to graduate and return to the Army as an Officer.
"When I return to the Army I will have eight years under my belt, and I plan on staying in for the long run - retirement," Favors said.
This program offers enlisted soldiers two unique opportunities to earn a baccalaureate degree: the Green to Gold Scholarship Option - for soldiers who are considering leaving active duty to attend college-or the Green to Gold Active Duty Option - for soldiers who want to remain on active duty and attend college.
Florida Southern College is currently home to one of the 300 Green to Gold program recipients. After two deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and eight long months of paperwork and physicals, junior Cliff Favors got the news that he was accepted into the prestigious Green to Gold program.
"Being accepted in to this program is a high honor. I was recommended by my higher-ups to apply and am the only enlisted student here at FSC who is in the Green to Gold program," Favors said.
He has the Green to Gold Scholarship Option so he would be able to complete school and not be taken out to deploy.
In 2006 shortly after marrying wife Liz, a graduate student at FSC, Favors deployed to Afghanistan for his second twelve-month tour of duty. Liz started making all the decisions for their new future together in Lakeland and decided that FSC had the most to offer them.
"When you deploy it is like you are totally stepping out of your life. You are no longer in control of the things that are going on at home and have to rely on the people you trust," Favors said. "My wife was amazing. She moved in with her parents, single handedly moved our belongings from North Carolina to Florida, got me situated into a great program and could still manage to pay all the bills on time."
Having joined the military for pride in his country, Favors did not plan on going back to college. But when the opportunity presented itself, it was a deal that could not be passed up.
"I couldn't believe that I was one of the chosen 300 enlisted military personal to be awarded the Green to Gold program," Favors said.
Getting into the college lifestyle was a challenge in and of itself. There were no longer rules to keeping rooms cleaned and being clean-shaven.
"Class size is a huge advantage at Florida Southern. I feel more knowledgeable having the one on one time with teachers," Favors said. "A pet peeve of mine is all the younger students' texting during class. There is a huge gap between us. Even though I look young, I don't act like it."
While in the Green to Gold program there is not a chance of being taken out of school for a deployment. The task at hand is to graduate and return to the Army as an Officer.
"When I return to the Army I will have eight years under my belt, and I plan on staying in for the long run - retirement," Favors said.
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