Across the University of California’s 10 campuses, a community of students with military backgrounds is making an impact both in and out of the classroom. These students, including veterans and active-duty service members, bring experiences from their time in the armed forces that influence their academic journeys and campus involvement.
Hanh Dinh, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and first-generation college student, graduated from UC San Diego with a degree in Cognitive Science in 2024. She described her path to higher education as challenging but transformative. “When I left the military, I had a lot of self-doubt about going back into school,” Dinh said. After participating in a bootcamp at Yale University designed for veterans transitioning to college life, she transferred to UC San Diego. Dinh became involved with the campus veterans center and later worked as a transfer peer coach supporting other nontraditional students. She credits her success to connecting with fellow student veterans: “What was really integral to my success at UC and beyond was just knowing there are so many people like me who are unfamiliar with the higher education system, and connecting with them and other student veterans,” she said. “It was empowering to know that, ‘Hey, we’ve done a lot of challenging things in the military, but now we can forge our own path, whether that’s similar to what we did in the military or completely different.’”
Amanda Lassiter is another example of a student veteran finding new purpose at UC Irvine. A Coast Guard veteran and reservist as well as a first-generation college student majoring in Informatics, Lassiter balances academics with ongoing reserve duties. She recounted being called back to active duty for hurricane response work just weeks into her first quarter at UC Irvine: “I was five weeks into my first quarter at UC when I was recalled to active duty to work for FEMA hurricane response,” Lassiter explained. Despite having to retake classes after missing two months for service obligations, she remained committed to her studies thanks to support from peers and her own determination.
Lassiter also works at the university’s Veteran Services Center helping others adjust after leaving military life behind: “It can be a really hard transition to leave the military ecosystem where you’re told what to do, where to be and when to be there. Now we’re all kind of out on our own, just finding our way as students,” she said. “Finding each other and being able to lean on each other and talk about our experiences, reflect on where we’ve been — that’s so important. We’re not wearing the uniform anymore, but we’re not alone. We’re all doing this together.”
Sebastian Smith retired from the U.S. Air Force after 20 years before enrolling at UC Davis as a Plant Biology major aiming for a doctorate in scientific research. At age 48 and older than most classmates, Smith has become something of a mentor figure: “They appreciate that I’m a veteran,” he noted regarding his interactions with younger students who sometimes seek his advice instead of approaching professors directly.
Smith also shares his educational journey with his children; his youngest lives with him while finishing high school online while his two oldest attend community college planning similar transfer paths.
Nathaniel Wentland is pursuing an MBA at UC Davis after serving both as an officer in the Navy Reserve and working globally as a merchant marine over ten years. He described unique experiences such as navigating ships through difficult waters or documenting casualties during deployments abroad before deciding it was time for graduate school using GI Bill benefits.
Wentland found support through campus resources like the Veteran Success Center where he now works as a peer advisor organizing events on financial planning and benefit usage for fellow military-connected students.
These stories highlight how former service members across University of California campuses are leveraging their backgrounds for academic achievement while contributing leadership skills within their communities.
