Staff Sergeant Armir Goodwin, a United States Air Force Reservist and 2019 Lander graduate, is undergoing training at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi.
After a couple years at Lander, Goodwin left in the fall of 2012 to join the military to help defray the costs of college. "I wanted to take the toll off my parents, so I decided to join the military because I knew there were educational benefits," he said. He spent nearly a year preparing, going through things like Military Entrance Processing Stations, before being sworn in during October of 2013 as a United States Air Force Reservist.
He would eventually join the Security Forces, which defends air bases, and acts as law enforcement on those bases, around the globe. The military discipline Goodwin learned helped him take control of his education when he returned to Lander after graduating from basic training. "It was like I had a new lease on life," he said.
After returning to Lander for a few semesters, he was deployed to Kuwait and Iraq, where he spent the next two years.
"When I came back [to Lander], my professors were extremely helpful," said Goodwin. "It's a mental transition coming back from over there [Iraq]."
In addition to transitioning back into civilian life, he was transitioning jobs in the Air Force. After six years as a member of Security Forces he began the switch to become a unit training manager, but since there were no unit training manager spots available, he began acting as an education benefits manager in 2020. In his current role, he helps other service members explore available benefits and options that can help them further their education.
In the October of 2020, Goodwin was hired as an admissions counselor at Lander University, working for the Office of Admissions. He enjoys helping students navigate through their collegiate careers, and said "they don't always know exactly what they want to do, or they might have a very focused mindset." One of his favorite things as an admissions counselor is when "you really get a chance to help people blossom into who they want to be. Lander helped me blossom into who I wanted to be."
In February 2021, after five months in his position at Lander, Goodwin was required to report to Keesler Air Force Base to receive additional training for his role as a unit training manager. Once on base, he began on-the-job training to identify goals and develop leadership skills.
Upon completion of training at Keesler Air Force Base, Gordon will return to South Carolina where he will report to the Charleston Air Force Base and "put his training to work." Once he has completed the training, Goodwin plans to return to Greenwood, where he looks forward to continuing his work at Lander - helping students blossom as they begin their own journey.