After 26 years, Brown proves it's never too late to finish what you started

After 26 years, Brown proves it's never too late to finish what you started

Kim Chaudoin | 04/27/2026

Robert Brown has spent three decades mastering the intricacies of industrial automation, leading engineering teams across 11 manufacturing facilities in North America. But one chapter remained unfinished - until now.

After roughly 26 years of working toward his undergraduate degree in one form or another, Brown is celebrating the completion of his Bachelor of Science degree in business leadership through Lipscomb Online.

"I had reached a point in my career where acquiring a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering offered little benefit to me professionally. But I felt there was something that I had left unfinished by not completing my four-year degree," explained Brown, who currently serves as director of automation and technology for Nashville Wire Products. "Reaching this milestone, I can now close that chapter in my personal, professional and academic life."

His professional path has been marked by steady advancement, but it did not follow a traditional academic timeline. After earning a certificate in industrial maintenance, he completed an associate degree in electrical engineering to advance his career. He picked up courses in computer-aided drafting and computer science along the way. But it wasn't until he was promoted to lead a team of engineers for an automotive components manufacturer that he recognized a gap in his skill set.

"It was at this time that I began to realize that, while my technical ability and background were sufficient to the task, my leadership skills needed a boost," he said.

The solution came from someone close to home - his wife, Donita Brown, associate professor in Lipscomb's College of Business, who suggested he explore the university's online programs.

"We were talking one day about the online programs available at Lipscomb, and knowing that I had mentioned needing work on my leadership skills, she suggested that I look into what Lipscomb had to offer in that field of study," recalled Brown.

Balancing coursework with a full-time career and family life, which includes daughters Amelia and Reagan, was not easy, Brown said. But his determination kept him moving forward.

"Once I begin a task, I am determined to see it through to its fullest end," he said. "Additionally, the SetPace program made this much easier to coordinate, along with my family's support."

Returning to the classroom after years away brought its own challenges. Brown described the transition back into formal education as an adjustment, particularly in establishing a new routine as an adult learner.

"The start was a bit rocky," he said. "As an adult learner going back into formalized education after years of being out of the system, it was challenging to get into a new life routine."

Even so, Brown persevered, charting his own course and methodically building a degree plan that fit his life and long-term goals.

Despite the obstacles, Brown found that the value of the degree extends beyond career advancement. While he said a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering would have offered limited professional benefit at his current stage of life, pursuing a business leadership degree sharpened his understanding of management and business operations in meaningful ways.

"Even after 30 years in the industrial manufacturing business and being exposed to many different facets of how a multinational business is run, I still learned key items of business and management that I had not experienced," said Brown.

Following graduation, Brown plans to continue applying those lessons in his leadership career while embracing the satisfaction of completing a long-held personal goal.

Brown's advice for others considering a return to school later in life is simple. "Never think that it is too late, or that it is of no real benefit," he said.

"Applicable education is never wasted, no matter what your age," Brown concluded. "Life is a great teacher in so much that it can teach you that there are always new things to learn."

Learn more about how to complete your degree through Lipscomb Online.