Tyneka Howard had a simple reason for joining the Air Force in 2000 at the age of 17.
“I wanted to see the world,” Howard said. “I wanted the most cost-effective way to do it.”
Howard, who will earn a master’s degree in school administration at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) in May, succeeded. She was based in Nebraska, Germany, Arizona, Oklahoma, Washington, D.C., Texas, Korea and Virginia. In addition, she was deployed to Iraq and Qatar.
Howard started her military career in administration, rising from mail clerk to executive assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force.
“I learned how it all comes together,” Howard said. “The operations, the logistics, how folks are promoted. When anything hits the fan and you see it on the news, the media called that office. It was nothing for a four-star general to come into the office and want to have a conversation with the Secretary.”
After 14 years, she switched to intelligence, which included supporting operations in South America and Asia for two years. She also rose in rank, working her way up to master sergeant (E7).
She retired in September 2020.
“I made a decision to retire because my son was getting ready to enter high school. I wanted to give him stability.”
Back to School
While attending high school in Virginia, Howard participated in Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC). And throughout her Air Force career, she volunteered in high schools.
When Howard moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, it was natural for her to find employment leading the JROTC program at Sanderson High School, overseeing more than 100 cadets per year.
There, she found the overlap between the Air Force and education is curiosity.
“To be a true intelligence analyst, you have to be nosy,” Howard said. “In education, you also have to be nosy.”
The then principal at Sanderson, Gretta Dula, Ed.D., who is an adjunct instructor in the NCCU School of Education, was impressed by Howard.
“She wanted to learn all the facets of her school,” Dula said. “She took cadets to nursing homes to do things with elderly residents. She took them to patriotic events in the community. She wanted to be in on school improvement plans. She really wanted to be part of the total school community.”
After five years, Dula suggested Howard earn a master’s degree so she could move up to K-12 school leadership.
“I looked at a lot of Master of School Administration programs,” Howard said. “NCCU makes sure leaders are prepared to work in culturally diverse schools.”
After graduation, Howard aims to land her first assistant principal position.
“Then we will see what happens,” said Howard. “If you work hard and hone your craft, good things will come to you.”