For Aaron Bird Bear, attaining his Masterâ??s of science in educational leadership and policy analysis from the UW School of Education is the result of a long journey filled with some unexpected twists. Bird Bear originally started out at the U.S. Naval Academy in Maryland, which would have led to five years of service in the navy upon graduation. But Bird Bearâ??s mother became ill, and he requested a release from his commitment to the navy after the end of his senior year to help care for his mother because he is an only child.   Â