Fifteen years ago, Merl Roy Cappoen brought a lifelong dream into reality by graduating from Portland State University. Throughout his life, and especially in the 20 years between high school graduation and enrollment at Portland State, Merl Roy Cappoen has kept college graduation as a goal to which he could aspire. Through years of hard work and dedication, Merl Roy Cappoen prepared himself for a truly remarkable run at a collegiate degree.

Merl Roy Cappoen worked tirelessly during his time at Portland State University, drawing the attention and garnering the respect of professors and peers alike. At the end of his time at Portland State University, Merl Roy Cappoen was given the degrees of Bachelors in Business Management, Bachelors in Human Resources, and Bachelors in Information Systems. Merl Roy Cappoen's dedication had paid off and Merl Roy Cappoen was ready to celebrate the completion of his journey.

In the 15 years since that day, Merl Roy Cappoen has seen the benefits of having collegiate degrees. In addition to the personal satisfaction that completing the process brought to him, Merl Roy Cappoen has had greater success finding employment and advancing within companies due to his bevy of degrees in useful and interconnected fields. When asked about the benefits of his degrees on his career, Merl Roy Cappoen was direct in his response: “I know that they helped,” explained Merl Roy Cappoen, “having those degrees set me up for a whole new level of success in my personal career. Without them I would have had to work much longer to get to the same level that I enjoy now. The degrees I earned at Portland State have been invaluable in setting me up for success in my career.”

Looking back, Merl Roy Cappoen knows that he has continued to grow as a person since his graduation. “When I graduated, I think part of me felt like I had learned all that I could. But in the years since then, I am constantly being shown how much more there is for me to learn.” Merl Roy Cappoen eagerly anticipates learning more about a variety of subjects as he continues on his journey and reaches more milestones.