Meet Brett Jones, a nontraditional biology major at USC Upstate and our first #HumansOfUpstate feature!
Jones earned his first degree—a Bachelor of Arts in political science—from Furman University. Now a part-time student at Upstate, he is planning to apply to medical school. After his first semester, he decided to fully commit and become a degree-seeking student.
Jones has two children, ages 10 and 12. In his free time, he coaches his daughter’s soccer team at CESA and enjoys hiking and spending time with his family.
Before enrolling at USC Upstate, Jones spent 20 years serving in the military and government as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Air Force. Pursuing medicine had long been a dream, but it wasn’t until last year that he made the decision to follow that path.
“I can either grow old and say that I never pursued my dream, or I can grow old and say I pursued my dream,” Jones said.
He considered several schools in the area before choosing Upstate, citing the support of Dr. Kim Shorter, pre-health professions advisor, as a key reason.
“She encouraged me and helped lay out a path for what I was trying to do,” he said.
Despite being older than many of his peers, Jones said the students at Upstate have been welcoming and supportive. “They treat me like I belong,” he said.
The journey hasn’t been easy, especially navigating the variety of online learning tools. Still, Jones said the challenge has been positive—he feels like he’s truly learning.
To others considering going back to school, Jones offers encouragement.
“I left my career—I could have stayed and been comfortable,” he said. “But I knew my soul would be restless if I never got to do what I wanted to do. It’s a matter of being objective, taking yourself out of the moment and saying, ‘OK, if this is something I really want to do, there are ways for me to do it. I just have to plan it.’”