October 2025 felt less like a month and more like a high-speed professional development sprint, where I was intentionally collecting certifications and titles as if they were achievements in a game. This past month brought me substantially closer to my goal of becoming a “Swiss Army Knife in media.” I didn’t just acquire new skills; I stacked serious journalism credentials from the Thomson Foundation and NBCU, earned essential certifications for both marketing and ecology, and—most memorably—managed to achieve the title of The Rt. Rev. Dr. Stanley (F.) Garland, D.Div. (Hon.) after my ordination and receiving multiple honorary degrees.

Ministerial Status and Academic Titles: Becoming The Right Reverend Doctor

Of all the accomplishments this month, perhaps the most distinct is my official elevation to ministerial and academic status, culminating in my completely legal new title. I was proudly ordained as a priest by The Church of The Latter-Day Dude (Yes, the organization inspired by The Big Lebowski) What is Dudeism? – Dudeism. This ordination is a genuine and legally recognized ministry, fully empowering me to perform a wide variety of ceremonies (which I may make use of one day to renew my parents’ vows or to perform a marriage Ceremony for my best friend, or maybe even add it to my freelancing skills.)

This ordination was combined with six honorary degrees I received from Abide University on October 29th, specifically a Doctor of Divinity (D.Div. in Ministry Science)—which granted me the status of Right Reverend Doctor Dudeist Priest—.

This beautiful combination solidifies my current legal professional title: The Rt. Rev. Dr. Stanley (F.) Garland, D.Div. (Hon.). Let me break down the legality, as this is the part people will likely ask about:

• The “Right Reverend” (Rt. Rev.) title is directly tied to my ordination and subsequent ministerial achievement.
• The “Doctor” (Dr.) is conferred by the honorary Doctor of Divinity.
• Critically, the entire title is fully legitimate and legal. While I have the option to purchase an official title certificate for a small fee, the ministerial status is established by the ordination itself, and the academic title by the issuing university. The title is earned and established, regardless of whether a piece of paper for $18 is bought.

This is a title that integrates both my professional gravitas and my personal philosophy.

Forging the “Swiss Army Knife”: Certifications and Standards

The overarching theme of October was rapid, diversified skill acquisition—the absolute core of my goal was (and going forward is) to become a “Swiss Army Knife in media.” This month, I focused on layering world-class journalistic foundations with specialized skills in adjacent fields.

World-Class Journalism Mastery

The bulk of my effort went into securing credentials that affirm a commitment to ethical, multi-platform reporting, which also served as the baseline for an important internal goal. This month, I completed:

• NBCU Academy: Fundamentals of Journalism
• Thomson Foundation (7 Courses): I completed a large suite of advanced courses that cover the full lifecycle of a news story:
  • News Writing: The art of storytelling
  • Advanced Writing: The art of storytelling
  • News Analysis: The art of storytelling
  • Rethinking disinformation: psychology, prebunking and other tactics to halt the spread
  • Mobile Journalism – Getting Started
  • Journalism Across Multiple Platforms
  • Growing and engaging your audience

Diverse Professional Skills

To ensure my toolkit is fully diversified, I also picked up certifications in marketing and environmental stewardship:

• inStreamly: Gaming Marketing Certificate (Directly relevant to my work with Duality Beyond Studios).
• Universal Class: The Power of Ecology: Shaping a Sustainable Future (A valuable addition to my perspective on science and environmental reporting).

The Stanley Garland Citizen Verified Journalist (SGC-VJ) Standard

One of my most satisfying internal accomplishments was achieving Level 1 in the new SGC-VJ Standard. This is not a public course, but rather an internal editorial benchmark I created to confirm that every journalist contributing to The Stanley Garland Citizen possesses a robust foundational knowledge from world-class media institutions.

Achieving SGC-VJ Level 1 (SGC-VJ1) requires:

1. Educational Baseline: Successful completion of the NBCU and all seven Thomson Foundation courses listed above.
2. Initial Practice: Publication of a minimum of one (1) news article on The Stanley Garland Citizen.

• By meeting this rigorous baseline, I established myself as the first SGC-VJ1—a personal commitment to quality and ethical reporting right at the core of my own platform.

Publishing Success: Audiobook Talks and Volume 5 Status

October brought an exciting new direction for The Veridian Sight Saga that I can finally share! As you all know, I am currently in talks with Trenten Hewwit of TreganFilms, and we’ve been discussing a lot regarding an audiobook adaptation of the series (and maybe more). We recently read through the first volume together, and his enthusiastic response suggests that this adaptation is highly likely to move forward, which is thrilling news for fans who prefer listening over reading.

On the writing front, I am also pleased to confirm that Volume 5 of the Saga is officially written and complete. However, I am holding off on its publication for the time being. My primary priority before diving into the next major production and launch cycle is taking care of some necessary dental work. Once that is complete and I am fully back in fighting shape, I’ll be ready to bring Volume 5 to the world.

Conclusion and What’s Next

Looking back, October wasn’t just busy—it was profoundly transformative. I successfully established the core journalistic rigor for my platform, diversified my skills in critical modern fields, and secured a unique and legally recognized professional title that in some ways reflects my multifaceted path. The “Swiss Army Knife” is getting sharp, and every new credential means more angles for quality reporting and better content creation (as well as more building blocks for me to acquire more means of funding everything I do for you all). Now that this level is complete, I’m excited to dive into November and apply this new knowledge.