Air Force veteran and Idaho Air National Guardsman Davis Nguyen no longer works as a paramedic, but he is still making an impact on saving lives.
While enrolled in Boise State University’s online Master of Science in Organizational Performance and Workplace Learning (OPWL) program, Nguyen invented the TQB Tourniquet Belt and launched a local business, DNA Innovations.
“One of the reasons I chose the program was because I decided to leave my last career,” he said. “It was physically and mentally demanding and taking a toll on my body, so I quit. I needed to do something with my life.”
In December 2024, Nguyen graduated with the master’s degree and a business that was three months old.
“It was born from the OPWL program,” he said. “I like to think of my business and my product being my life’s work. I also do a fair amount of teaching and instruction for the military, which drove me to want to do the OPWL program.”
After his wife, April, graduated with a master’s degree in social work from Boise State, she went back to work full-time while Nguyen concentrated on earning his advanced degree.
“It’s good to have a supportive partner,” he said. “She did her degree on campus. That was kind of what the plan was previously.
“We met in the military and went to Mountain Home, Idaho, then got out of active duty. Active duty takes control of your life, so we wanted control of our lives again, wanted to go to school and have a family. We really liked the Idaho area.”
The couple also had a son while Nguyen was enrolled in the OPWL program, so the flexibility of the online format was key.
“It worked out well for me,” he said. “The Boise State staff was very accommodating. I didn’t need too much extra help because it was the end of the semester when he was born. They were very supportive.
“The flexibility helped a lot. Because of the online format, I was wearing him on my chest while I was listening to lectures. I didn’t have to carry him to and from school or have daycare, I was also able to care for my 7-year-old daughter during this time.”
Ready for takeoff
Nguyen is from Sacramento, California. After joining the Air Force in 2006, he was stationed in Alabama, where he met his wife. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and an associate degree in paramedic science from Idaho State University in 2017.
“I had zero goals of earning a master’s degree,” he said. “Even in my undergrad, that was the pinnacle of my life. Then, this opportunity opened itself up. Schooling was paid for by the military, which made it ridiculously easy for me. I don’t regret it at all.”
Prior to enrolling at Boise State in August 2023, Nguyen had learned about learning and development through the military.
“Because of everything I learned in the OPWL program, I was able to accelerate my learning into business,” he said. “There are five different aspects of business you have to learn about to start one. Being able to leverage that really helped me out a lot to accelerate the learning curve and get me to the point where I am now. This is the culmination of my life.
“With my product, the idea is that most men have a belt on them, so it makes sense to use them to help stop the bleeding. I went to hunt down a solution to that problem, which I eventually found.”
Learning Development taught by Seth-Aaron Martinez and AI and Gamified Learning taught by Rafael da Silva were Nguyen’s two favorite courses in the online OPWL curriculum.
“Learning Development was a fun one that I learned a lot from,” he said. “I enjoyed AI and Gamified Learning because I am a big gamer. Within the military, I have to make a lot of the trainings I have done fun.
“I am dealing with a lot of the newer generation, so their attention spans are a bit shorter than when I went through. I had to make it engaging and impactful. Those two courses, along with the other courses in the program, helped me do that. The individual mentoring from Anthony Marker was also big.”
Flying high
Nguyen put the finishing touches on earning a master’s degree by walking at the commencement ceremony.
“I didn’t do it for my undergrad because I didn’t think it was that big of a deal,” he said. “When I did it for my master’s, I thought that I should have done it for my bachelor’s, as well. I got to meet a few of my classmates at commencement. One was from Texas, another from Ohio. It was a fun experience.
“My family and friends were excited. A lot of them were glad I got out of being a paramedic because it was wearing me out. I have two brothers. I was the first one to go to college and graduate for both my undergraduate and my graduate.”
Nguyen looks forward to building his business over the coming years while helping raise his son with his wife.
“I intend to build a one-man business into something larger,” he said. “When I scale it up, I will have to leverage my degree more into educating everyone I hire to do what I do.
“I know I can’t make another me, but I have already thought about how everything I am doing has to be a repeatable process that I can teach at least one aspect of to someone else.”
Earning the degree also led to a new role in the military and a promotion in rank. Nguyen will be a senior enlisted leader of the medical group beginning in 2026.
“I’ll be one of the executives with decision-making authority,” he said. “That’s where that organizational performance comes in.
“It helped me focus on the unit as a whole, but not so much that I can’t focus on the individual person. The OPWL program helped me tailor conversations with every single individual within my unit to help them be the best that they can be.”
Nguyen has already seen the degree pay dividends with his new career. And he believes it can do the same for anybody who is willing to learn.
“I would tell anybody considering the OPWL program to just do it,” he said. “Just trek along and get it done, as long as you are motivated to do so. Boise State makes it so easy, one way or another.”
Learn more about the Organizational Performance and Workplace Learning program
Want to learn more about the online OPWL program? Join us for an online information session or contact a student success coach. Earning an online Master of Science in Organizational Performance and Workplace Learning from Boise State University can open doors to new opportunities and a brighter future — and we’re here to support you every step of the way. Whether you’re exploring if an online degree is right for you or need help transferring credits, connecting with a student success coach is the perfect first step.
Ready to learn more? Attend one of our online information sessions or contact a student success coach today.