MCAS Cherry Point, NC -- “Set a goal for yourself and go at it.”
Marine Maj. Joseph Goodrich, the executive officer of Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 252, held a book-signing event in Jacksonville, North Carolina, Nov. 30, 2019.
Last November, Goodrich published a children’s book that aims to helps children deal with their emotions. Goodrich said that the idea started as a labor of love for his wife and two children, whom he kept the book a secret from throughout the entire publishing process
“Once it was complete, the publishers sent me the first draft and I read it to my kids,” said Goodrich. “Once we were done, we looked in the back and they saw my picture and ran to my wife and said, ‘Daddy wrote a book!’ The fact that they loved the book meant a lot to me.”
Goodrich’s inspiration for writing his book came while studying to earn his doctorates degree. He found that there was not a lot of information for children on how to develop the skills to handle their emotions at a younger age.
“So, I tied together a story and combined those skills into a children’s book,” he added. “I’m very proud of how it’s turned out.”
Goodrich said that going to school and earning his degree was the biggest contributor to helping him achieve this goal.
“I’ve been a student since I was a Lance Corporal until this past year when I earned my doctorate degree,” said Goodrich. “I knew that earning advanced degrees was important to me because I would like to teach when I get out of the Marine Corps.”
Goodrich encourages Marines to take advantage of the programs the Marine Corps offers for advanced education.
“We’re Marines. We work hard and we set goals,” Goodrich stated. “The best way to make us better at our jobs is higher education and building that perspective and life experience.”