Staff Sgt. Beth Gilbert’s future is up in the air — and that’s where she prefers it.
When first assigned to duty in Ansbach, Germany, more than ten years ago, Beth found her place in the sky. “Being an air traffic controller in the Army, they would have what are called orientation flights, where you could just volunteer to go on a flight. I would always take that opportunity to just go flying because I loved it so much.”
Today, Beth’s eyeing her next horizon as a Respiratory Care student. Her long-term career aspiration? Becoming a critical care flight respiratory therapist and providing intensive, ambulatory care when patients need it most.
Above and beyond
A long-time resident of Glastonbury, Connecticut, Staff Sgt. Beth Gilbert originally hails from Moodus, a village located in East Haddam.
For Beth, the journey to higher education was not a direct path. “I had my daughter when I was 18, and I didn’t have the money to go to college,” she shares. “I had odd little jobs and worked at a daycare for about three years.”
It was this experience that inspired Beth’s decision to enlist in the U.S. Army. “I wasn’t making enough money to support myself and my daughter. So, I decided that it would be a good opportunity to expand my horizons a little bit, learn about new things, and just try something new while also serving my country.”
During the first two and a half years of her enlistment, Beth was stationed in Ansbach, Germany working as an air traffic controller at Illesheim Army Airfield in Bavaria. “It was a really cool job. I feel like I thrive in those high-stakes environments where things are really on the line, and I love aviation.”
In addition to fueling her love of flight, Beth’s time in Germany heightened her passion for exploration and discovery. “I love to travel, so that was really awesome,” she reflects. “I was able to visit a lot of different places in Europe.”
Beth went on to serve the remaining four and a half years of her enlistment in Fort Rucker, Alabama, before ultimately returning to Connecticut — where her next chapter was waiting.
Charting the course
After returning from her assignment, Beth was determined to continue blazing her own trail — starting with higher education. “I was out of the army for two years. I was working at FedEx as an operations manager, and I was so unhappy there,” she explains. “It just was not for me. For a while, I was thinking maybe I’d go to school for nursing. My sister’s a nurse, and she graduated from Goodwin.”
Researching career paths in healthcare, Beth was uncertain if nursing would be the best fit for her future. Then, unexpectedly, the next step forward found her.
“My grandmother began living with us in 2023. I started meeting her team of professionals, and the respiratory therapist would stop by and check her oxygen levels to make sure everything was okay and that she had the right medications,” Beth recounts. “That’s when I really started looking into pursuing respiratory care. I hadn’t known what a respiratory therapist was. Then, after I did some more research, it was something I could really see myself doing.”
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Reaching new heights
Beth entrusted Goodwin with her education for reasons founded on reputation, community, and accessibility. “My sister had a really good experience at Goodwin. I also like that Goodwin caters more to students who are a little bit older and who have more responsibilities outside of school,” she elaborates. “It was also the only Respiratory Care program offering night classes. I have a daughter, and she needs to be picked up during the day, so it just works better for my life.”
Furthermore, Goodwin’s commitment to empowering student veterans helped shape her decision to apply to Goodwin. “There are a lot of support options through Veteran Services, and I think it’s the perfect place for a veteran to want to go.”
Embarking on higher education — especially for the first time — can be a daunting process. However, the support Beth received from the Goodwin community eased the turbulence of entering academia and helped her remain on course.
“I love how invested the teachers are in their students. I haven’t been in a single class where I didn’t feel like I could go to the teacher for help,” she says. “The program director, Mike Murphy, has helped me through a lot of things. Whenever I ask him for advice on something, he’s been there to help.”
Beth values that this collaborative, constructive culture is fostered amongst classmates as well. “It’s competitive, but in a good way. Everybody really wants you to succeed, and that’s what I really like about it.”
While the stresses of providing life-saving care may be high for respiratory therapists, Beth’s Army training has helped her with the skills to navigate the moment and think on her feet — skills that will be indispensable in her future practice. “Army life prepared me a lot. You have a schedule, and you follow it. You have to maintain your discipline and arrive at places on time in the right uniform. There are no excuses. You do it, and you do it right.”
She continues, “Working with air traffic control also prepared me to pursue respiratory care. The demand and the stakes for being an air traffic controller are really high. You must think fast, think on your feet, and make the right decisions. Although there could be different ways to do things, in the end, it must have the same outcome.”
A future in flight
As she completes her studies, Beth is looking up and ahead. “I’m really hoping to do well on my boards, become a registered respiratory therapist, and I’m looking into hopefully work for Hartford HealthCare because they have the LIFE STAR program, which I’d love to eventually get in to.”
To earn a spot in this program, Beth plans to complete several years of bedside care experience and pursue additional schooling, including paramedic training, which is required to be considered a competitive applicant.
While Beth knows lofty goals come with longer paths, she’s patiently willing to embrace the process. “It’s going take a while to get there, but I know that all the meaningful goals in life take some time. That’s the hard part, but I don’t mind waiting and working hard for it. I love going to school, too, so I’ll continue learning and get whatever certifications I can,” she highlights. “I don’t want it to stop once I graduate from Goodwin. I want to keep going.”
To future Respiratory Care students, Beth offers words of encouragement — and a reminder that the essential care they will learn to provide is a reward in and of itself. “It will be the best decision you’ve ever made. You’ll earn a job you can be proud of every day. Don’t second guess yourself. Just believe in yourself and take that step to better your future.”
Ready to pursue a rewarding career in respiratory care? You’re in the right place. With convenient evening classes, expert faculty, and hands-on learning opportunities with Connecticut’s top healthcare employers, our Respiratory Care associate degree program is designed to foster your success from classroom to career. Learn more about our Respiratory Care program and begin your Goodwin journey today.
Bri Gagné is a content developer at Goodwin University, bringing backgrounds in literary studies, creative storytelling, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and social justice. They earned their bachelor’s degree in English Literature, Film Studies, and Gender Studies from University of Connecticut and a master’s in Elementary Education from Eastern Connecticut State University.
After teaching English abroad and locally, Bri transitioned to a full-time writing career, contributing to the University’s educational narratives and brand-building efforts. They are currently earning their Master of Fine Arts in Popular Fiction Writing and Publishing at Emerson College.