Many American military personnel face the problem of what to do after their time in the service ends. Every year, many who complete their military career—roughly 115,000—answer that question by pursuing college.
Easing the momentous life change, national nonprofit Warrior-Scholar Project (WSP) has helped enlisted veterans transition to their next phase by presenting opportunities through its academic boot camps. This summer, UVA and McIntire partnered with WSP as one of 20 leading colleges hosting the intensive two-week program; the first half focused on humanities, while the second week of classes explored business aspects through programs led by McIntire faculty and staff.
Commerce Professor Jeffrey Lovelace, an Army veteran himself who served two tours in Iraq and is an adviser for the UVA chapter of Student Veterans of America, says that college provides a powerful bridge for veterans transitioning from military to civilian life.
“Education allows them to harness and refine the skills they acquired in service. At the University of Virginia and the McIntire School, veterans are exposed to many opportunities that expand their horizons and empower them to confidently pursue new paths,” Lovelace says. “An academic boot camp is not just about learning; it’s about discovering potential, embracing change, and building a future enriched by the diverse experiences and knowledge a world-class university offers.”
UVA alumnus Ryan Pavel (Law ’17), WSP CEO and Marine Corps veteran, says the program is about unlocking the potential of enlisted veterans as they attempt to meet their academic goals: “Committed partners like UVA are essential to accomplishing this mission. Bringing veterans to Grounds at a WSP academic boot camp helps them experience what college is actually like and enables them to make informed choices about where and what they want to study.”
Patrick Trujillo, another Marine Corps veteran, WSP alumnus, and now WSP Marketing Coordinator who taught Public Speaking and a daily class in Entrepreneurship throughout the week of the boot camp, says that the week of classes was designed to introduce students to business and entrepreneurship fundamentals and build or improve their knowledge of basic business concepts. “We showed our participants their educational path if they pursued a business degree. This week at UVA, we challenged each person intellectually and academically to better prepare them for the challenges they may face as student veterans.”
Real Value for Veterans
The jam-packed schedule of business-focused morning sessions ran June 17-20, starting with Professor Chip Ransler leading a three-hour class on finding compelling ideas and thinking like an expert entrepreneur. It continued with Professor Marcia Pentz teaching an introduction to direct-style communication and the persuasive power of storytelling, followed by Professor Jeremy Marcel’s introduction to organizational competitiveness and strategy, and Lovelace’s session on leadership, learning from failure, and managing follower motivation.
Afternoons throughout the four-day span included a tour of Rouss & Robertson Halls and the new McIntire Expansion Project, a meeting about available Comm School programs with McIntire Student Services, a tour of UVA Athletics and Scott Stadium, and a conversation about professional opportunities with Commerce Career Services.
The program proved insightful, eye-opening, and valuable on many fronts.
“When I came here, I didn’t know there was a leadership course; I didn’t know there was a way to deal with people, how to speak, or how to get out of your fears when it comes to social interaction,” admits participant and Navy veteran Jeremiah Krop. One of the most important lessons to come from the boot camp was a reminder that all he learned in the military is connected to skills needed in the world beyond the service. “The stuff that they are teaching us here, whether you’re getting out or staying in [the military], is going to be able to be applied anywhere, and it’s going to help you grow as a person or as a sailor or a businessperson. It was just really cool in that aspect. It wasn’t just solely on how to build a business, but how to be a person at the same time.”
Reflecting on the week, Krop was surprised at how immediately relevant it was, even as someone with plans to stay in the military for the duration of his career. “It helped me realize how much of the information can be relatable outside of the Navy or inside the Navy. I’m choosing to stay in, and all the information I gathered from this program will help me along the way. I learned how to communicate, and they went over leadership skills, how to send an email properly, and how to set up presentations. So, even when I return to my ship, it will be an easier transition, and I will bring even more skills back with me. It’s been a great experience, and I’ve had fun, and you can definitely learn a lot whether you’re staying in or getting out,” he says.
Kiel Malate, a Navy veteran, WSP STEM Fellow, and peer mentor, felt that the boot camp reinforced his dedication to the program. “As a Fellow, I saw passionate UVA professors and faculty give meaningful lectures highlighting skills surrounding entrepreneurship, business proposals, and more. This week was amazing to be a part of,” he says. “Being able to see participants engage with each other and faculty and watch their confidence grow while working on their product proposals was a treat and a constant reminder of why I love being a part of this process as a Fellow.”
Communicating Their Stories
Professor Pentz shares that working with enlisted active-duty service members and veterans was a wholly enriching experience that she “adored,” adding, “To say it was an engaging classroom would be a massive understatement.”
In her session about direct-style communication and group presenting, she explains that the “direct-style, bottom-line, up-front communication necessary in business was already familiar to them, and they embraced it with aplomb.” For one particular exercise, participants spent time refining their personal stories so that they could use them during networking events. Pentz believes it resonated. “They learned what others found interesting about what they had to say,” she says. “We were all avid listeners, eager to help cohort members to tighten and revise a core element of excellence they could use in future networking.”
In a discussion about a case study written by McIntire Professor Emeritus Lynn Hamilton, Pentz reports that they grasped key insights immediately, offering a moment to explain where their insights could be of great help to potential undergraduate partners or teams. Additionally, students enjoyed collaborating on group presenting techniques.
“The McIntire style of presenting was a bit more of a challenge than they might have anticipated,” Pentz reports. “However, I’ve never taught a group of people who adapted more quickly or adopted ideas with such confidence. It was truly a pleasure working with and learning from them,” she says, noting that she would readily be part of the program again in the future. “More importantly, we should all be eager to have such terrific students in our classes.”
The long-term positive impact of this program can be profound. WSP participant and Army vet Andrew Pate appreciated the effort made to create a realistic university atmosphere in such a short amount of time—and for what the program can do to broaden the U.S. military members’ understanding. “It is instrumental to unearthing a veteran’s confidence to be a successful college student,” he says. “Built within the program structure is a silent force of humility that some service members might discover when they realize that, as individuals, we don’t know everything. Through that humility, you can become open to gaining wisdom and insight that will serve you through college and life.”
