Brian’s ultimate destination: Mount Katahdin in Maine.
By John Robert Morton, Student and Alumni Affairs Liaison, and Brian Fisher, AMU Graduate
Some individual goals are small and involve simple tasks. Other goals are much, much larger and potentially life-changing.
American Military University (AMU) alumnus Brian Fisher has set out to achieve a major lifetime goal: hiking the entire Appalachian Trail. This famous hiking trail extends through 14 states from Georgia to Maine and is almost 2,200 miles long. It is a hiker’s paradise and the longest hiking-only footpath in the world.
Brian is no stranger to long-term, life-changing goals, having graduated with his bachelor’s degree in accounting with AMU. As a father, professional accountant, and fitness enthusiast, he wants to achieve certain goals in both his personal and professional lives.
Taking the Path from the Military to Education
Brian was inspired to join the Army after seeing the events of September 11. He volunteered for the 75th Ranger Regiment and later became part of the Joint Special Operations Command.
During this time, he also served as a liaison in Washington, D.C. in direct support of combat operations, including more than three years in Afghanistan.
After serving for several years, Brian added a new goal: going after a bachelor’s degree in accounting. After talking with unit management and researching his educational options, Brian chose AMU.
“AMU was recommended to me by multiple military colleagues due to its flexibility, online offerings, and understanding of the unique schedules of working adults and servicemembers,” Brian says.
In addition to its flexibility, AMU offers unlimited lifetime access to the online Trefry Library for research into any topic. Brian loves to use the library for his research.
“I had a great experience with AMU. I still use the online library frequently and its search function to research accounting topics,” he observes.
After honorably separating in 2022, Brian completed his degree. In October 2024, Brian had an internship at Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler (KPMG®) and later became an accounting associate. KPMG is one of the “Big Four” accounting firms, which include Ernst & Young® (EY®), Deloitte®, and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC®).
Now, he is striving to become a certified public accountant (CPA). “I recently left KPMG to complete my CPA exams and find work closer to home that offers a better balance than a large company,” he notes.
Using His Education to Benefit Others
AMU degrees typically require students to complete a series of elective courses. In most programs, these electives enable students to explore certain areas of interest outside of the core courses they take to complete their degree.
Brian took full advantage of his electives to aid his son’s educational advancement. “I particularly enjoyed my electives. My favorite was Motor Learning. Inspired by my son’s developmental delays created by his autism, I used him as a case study throughout the semester and featured him in a video for the final project.
“After my son was diagnosed with autism, I discovered that I am also on the spectrum. It inspired me to eventually volunteer as a mentor for children with autism.”
Advice for Future Accounting Students
For those students aspiring to become accounting professionals, Brian has some advice:
- Accounting is more about rules than math. Don’t let your math skills – or the lack of them – be the sole deciding factor in entering the field of accounting.
- Learn to leverage AI as a tool rather than fearing it. Understanding artificial intelligence will make you more valuable, provided you understand its current limitations.
- Challenge the system. Avoid the “We’ve-Always-Done-It-This-Way” mentality and question the practicality of existing rules.
Hiking the Appalachian Trail
Currently, Brian is hiking northward on the Appalachian Trail and seeks to complete the entire trail (known as thru-hiking). To fulfill this goal, Brian will need to walk about 5 million steps and climb the equivalent of 16 Mount Everests, according to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.
“Thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail is like a long-distance race against the weather. It tests your physical limits and flexibility and requires weekly planning. It has been the most therapeutic experience of my life,” Brian says.
“I also dream of one day opening a bed-and-breakfast along the Appalachian Trail and catering to hikers,” he adds.
“The trail community is incredible, and the sense of accomplishment from hitting my daily targets is life-changing. Navigating the Appalachian Trail requires perseverance and focus, and I hope to use these skills to hike the Pacific Coast Trail with my son one day.”
Views from the Appalachian Trail. Images courtesy of author.
KPMG is a registered trademark of KPMG International Cooperative.
Ernst & Young and EY are registered trademarks of EYGN, Ltd.
Deloitte is a registered trademark of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu.
PwC is a registered trademark of PwC Business Trust.
About the Author
John Robert Morton is a Student & Alumni Affairs Liaison and has been with the University for 16 years. His bachelor’s degree in European history is from Troy University in Troy, Alabama. He also completed master’s degrees in political science and sports management from American Military University. As a liaison, John Robert enjoys helping students and alumni achieve their personal and professional goals.
About Our Department
The AMU and APU Alumni Affairs Office is dedicated to sustaining lifelong relationships with university alumni by providing engaging opportunities to stay involved and connected. We work closely with various stakeholders to strengthen the alumni experience and offer numerous benefits, services, activities, and events throughout the year.
As a team, the Alumni Affairs team works to build and sustain relationships with alumni along their personal and professional journeys. We actively look for ways to recognize and showcase alumni, telling their stories to motivate and encourage students to pursue their goals.
If you are an alumni community member and looking for ways to remain actively involved, please get in touch with alumni@apus.edu and speak with a team member.
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