From Marine to Mentor

If someone had told Mike Galler ‘95 that he’d eventually wind up back in school for his career, he would not have believed them. Now, the Supervisor of Career and Technical Education at Bethlehem Area Vocational Technical School (BAVTS), he sees that it was always in the cards for him.  

“I struggled in high school, and I remember telling my principal that he would never see me in a school again,” says Galler, Northampton Community College (NCC) alum. 

The highlight in his high school career was taking welding courses through BAVTS in his sophomore through senior years. This early hands-on experience sparked his interest in welding and the trades, but he decided that after high school, he was done with education. Ten days after his high school graduation, he left for military service as a Marine.  

While enlisted, Galler served as part of Marine Force Recon, which consisted of scuba diving, boat operations, and other specialized military training. He served during the first Gulf War in 1991. He says, the most important thing he took from the Marines was not necessarily the technical skills, but the mindset. 

“When I went through boot camp, I remember feeling like I was re-born. I developed an attitude that I could accomplish anything. Being told I couldn't do something became motivation to prove someone otherwise.” 

After four years of active duty, Galler began thinking about his future. At the time, his fiancée didn’t want the lifestyle associated with continued active military service, so, he considered how he could turn his welding background into a career. While on leave from the Marines, Galler returned to Pennsylvania to take NCC's placement tests, and he started in the materials joining and weld inspection program, now called welding technology. The program was reputable, and it was local to home, and for Galler, it was the logical next step to upskill in the trade.  

Galler transitioned directly from active-duty Marines into NCC, and during that time, he was in the Army National Guard, where he served another eight years. He was able to find balance between military and civilian life, committing one weekend each month and two weeks during the summer to the National Guard. 

When he first came to NCC, Galler said he received excellent support for military-affliated and veteran students at the College. He particularly appreciated having someone who understood how overwhelming the transition from military service to higher education could be.  

“They helped me navigate GI Bill benefits, financial aid, and other available resources. The staff who helped would sit down and walk me through the process step-by-step.”  

NCC Professor Bill Heins was leading the program when he enrolled at NCC, and he became one of Galler's most influential mentors. In fact, their relationship continued well beyond his graduation, and he later recruited him to teach as an adjunct at the College.  

Heins taught many of Galler's core courses, challenged him, and held him to high expectations. Because of the knowledge gained through his courses, technical school, and through his military training, he was able to gain experience as an underwater welder during the summers while attending NCC. 

The program, Galler says, gave him the technical foundation and preparation necessary to move quickly into the next stage of his career. He credits NCC with preparing him to earn his Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) certification shortly after graduating in 1995.  

Galler went on to work at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa. in its Structural Research Laboratory. He was the building welder for research projects where he tested the structural integrity of the projects, building and welding the fixtures needed to conduct the tests. 

^{Mike Galler with welding project}

One day, a few years after graduating, Galler got the call from Heins to see if he’d be interested in an opening for an adjunct position in the department. 

“I initially thought, ‘no way.’ My guidance counselors and teachers would laugh if they knew I wound up teaching at the college level. But, I wanted to challenge myself and take the opportunity to work alongside my mentor as a colleague.” 

Many of the students Galler had at the time were displaced Bethlehem Steelworkers who wanted to upskill and move into the next stage of their career. He recalls some having the attitude that they didn’t need more training, but Galler pointed out the fresh new talent coming into the workforce. These courses would help make the displaced workers more marketable and show eagerness to learn. Encouraging these students stuck with Galler in his career.  

A full-time position opened up, and Galler continued working full-time at NCC for two years. Over the past few decades, Galler has encountered former NCC students throughout the community. He has enjoyed seeing what they have gone on to accomplish.   

When Galler's former BAVTS welding instructor was preparing to retire, he thought of the NCC professor as a possible replacement. 

In 1999, his former instructor asked if he would return to the vocational school. Career and technical educators often follow a different path than traditional teachers. After gaining industry experience, Galler was able to start teaching and earned his bachelor's of education and master’s in educational leadership through Temple University. Galler's career path became almost ironic, from disliking high school to becoming a welding instructor and studying education for high school students.  

Galler has two wonderful children, his daughter, Cambry, 25, and his son, Trestin, 27. His son, who has autism and intellectual/developmental challenges, has taught him a lot about how he approaches his students. Through parenting Trestin, Galler developed a much deeper understanding of special education, parental concerns, and the obstacles families face. He identifies the options that are actually available for students, and he helps families at BAVTS create a path forward.   

“I can empathize with parents because of my personal experience, but I’m careful not to claim that I know exactly what another family is experiencing because every situation is different. Sharing my own experience often helps parents feel understood and more comfortable.”  

Eventually, Galler became an administrator at BAVTS in 2010. He oversees programs, instructors, and student pathways. He continues to advocate for technical education and workforce preparation and has worked closely with NCC throughout his administrative career. In fact, BAVTS and NCC have multiple articulation agreements, creating an easy path into programs and transferring credits to programs at NCC. 

Galler believes students should leave their career and technical education with a clear direction. Whether a student enters the military, pursues postsecondary education, or goes right into business and industry, one thing, he says, is not an option - sitting at home without a plan. “The goal is not to make every student follow the same path,” he says, “The goal is to help each student determine which path is right for them.”  

Galler is retiring, but his journey isn’t through yet. "I'm retired from this line of work. I’m only 56. I'm not done,” adding that he’d even consider coming back to NCC in some capacity so that he could still make an impact on career and technical education.