| What makes some people love being where they | | | | |
| are and want to stay there while others want | | | | The adjustment to working for the UN was an |
| to see what else there is? Clearly, curiosity | | | | easy and comfortable one. Mr. Kudyba would |
| must play a role. Beyond that, experience | | | | now live far from Australia doing important |
| must reinforce curiosity by providing | | | | work but return home regularly for vacations. |
| rewards. Like many adventuresome Australians, | | | | It was a good combination for a man who |
| Bob Kudyba was born with the necessary | | | | wanted to learn beyond the horizon. |
| curiosity and life has kindly rewarded him | | | | |
| for acting to satisfy his curiosity. | | | | After joining the UN, Mr. Kudyba realized |
| | | | that experience would only take him so far in |
| From quite a young age, Bob Kudyba wanted to | | | | his new organization. Middle and upper level |
| know more about the world beyond Melbourne, | | | | management positions are very competitive and |
| Australia -- the area where he was born, | | | | those with advanced degrees such as an MBA |
| raised, and educated. After high school | | | | are best placed for consideration for these |
| graduation, Mr. Kudyba looked forward to | | | | posts. He quickly began to research how one |
| beginning his first job as a sales assistant | | | | might add such a degree while dealing with a |
| for Australian Consolidated Industries. | | | | very demanding work requirement in remote |
| Unfortunately, that work wasn't to his | | | | locations. |
| liking, and Mr. Kudyba joined the Australian | | | | |
| Army instead. In that service he worked hard | | | | Online learning became the obvious choice |
| for twenty years and retired with the rank of | | | | because e-mail communications and Web-based |
| Warrant Officer after being awarded the Medal | | | | research through the Internet allows people |
| of the Order of Australia. | | | | to learn beyond the horizon without |
| | | | traveling. Because work deadlines are so |
| His army experience gave him a chance to | | | | critical, his graduate education would have |
| sample learning beyond the horizon when he | | | | to be flexible. Mr. Kudyba was pleased to |
| was posted abroad to work with the United | | | | find that Rushmore University would allow him |
| Nations Mine Clearance Training Team in | | | | to adjust his workload and focus his courses |
| Pakistan and later to work in the Solomon | | | | in ways that let his work priorities come |
| Islands. Mr. Kudyba also enjoyed meeting | | | | first while pursuing an MBA degree. |
| people from all walks of life. As he | | | | |
| traveled, just listening to people was an | | | | Some of his early courses helped Mr. Kudyba |
| education in itself. | | | | learn to be more organized in his schedule |
| | | | and studies. With the benefits of |
| He also took formal courses related to his | | | | understanding better ways to organize, he was |
| military duties. He attended the University | | | | able to carry the heavy loads of being the |
| of Melbourne and completed a Bachelor of | | | | operations officer for a demining mission for |
| Education and Training during his final years | | | | the United Nations while earning an MBA. The |
| in the army and later earned a Post-Graduate | | | | rest of his MBA courses focused on practical |
| Diploma in Education and Training. | | | | challenges he faced in leading the demining |
| | | | mission and provided him the satisfaction of |
| While in the army, he dreamed of becoming a | | | | seeing that he could successfully apply what |
| teacher and looked into the possibility of | | | | he was learning. |
| creating a private tutoring business in | | | | |
| Australia to help others make the most out of | | | | Mr. Kudyba's grandmother used to say to him, |
| their opportunities. However, at the time of | | | | "When one door shuts, another one opens." He |
| his retirement he decided to work and live | | | | realized the wisdom of this saying when |
| overseas; believing this experience would | | | | earning a master's degree fired in him a |
| give him additional knowledge and | | | | greater desire to learn more and to add even |
| qualifications to consolidate his tutoring | | | | more powerful skills. He told me that "I have |
| experience. | | | | found that I am never completely satisfied |
| | | | with what I know, and I am continually on a |
| Because of his successful military | | | | quest to learn more about many topics and |
| experience, an opportunity arose to join a | | | | their backgrounds. Learning also keeps the |
| United Nations Mine Action program, which was | | | | mind sharp and active which I believe is a |
| then working on removing land mines | | | | very important requirement as a person |
| (demining) and unexploded ordnance (UXOs) | | | | progresses through levels of management." |
| left over from armed conflicts. Currently, | | | | |
| over sixty countries around the world are | | | | Within a few months of graduating, Mr. Kudyba |
| blighted with the scourge of landmines and | | | | extended his learning to include the |
| unexploded ordnance so there will be demand | | | | challenge of earning a PhD. He is studying |
| for landmine and UXO clearance for quite some | | | | management methods used for planning demining |
| time. His demining work has taken him to | | | | operations and developing ways of not only |
| Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Iraq. It's rewarding | | | | improving this important activity but also |
| work, despite its danger, because Mr. Kudyba | | | | establishing habits that lead to further |
| knows that many crippling accidents and | | | | improvements in performance and safety. |
| deaths can be avoided while mine and UXO | | | | |
| affected land can be returned to poor people | | | | Where will his curiosity take him next? |
| for useful purposes. | | | | Undoubtedly, the answer is over the horizon. |