Jonathan Martinez - From Electronics Technician to Stanford
Tell us about yourself, Jonathon!
Hometown: Crescent City, CA
What is your anticipated school and intended major? Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University , Class of 2027
Fun Fact About Yourself: I love bikes! I'm currently riding my bicycle from Spain to Ireland and I've gone 1600 miles so far in the last month and a half. I’m in Amsterdam at the time of writing this!
What did you do in the military? I was an Engineering Laboratory Technician on the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt
What was your proudest accomplishment in the military? Finishing the Naval Nuclear Power Program and finally being able to apply what I learned on the job.
What was the biggest benefit to using Service to School throughout the application process? Having the opportunity to submit the VetLink addendum along with my application. That was the perfect place to talk about my military accomplishments in a way that makes sense to admissions officers, and I think it really rounded out my application. Having a motivated ambassador available to help me fill it out as well was an invaluable resource.
What are you most excited about in regards to starting school? I'm most excited about being able to dive deep into the engineering world and focus purely on studies. We have our whole lives to work, so why not take this opportunity with the education benefits we’ve earned and explore! My favorite part about Stanford is their emphasis on academic freedom. It’s highly encouraged to explore a wide range of studies, and you don't have to declare a major until the end of your sophomore year.
What are your post-graduation goals? After graduation, I’d like to help design autonomous underwater vehicles for oceanographic research. I love the ocean, I love surfing it, I love diving it, I love the creatures in it, and sometimes I just plain love looking at it. I think this would be the perfect way to combine two of my passions.
Jonathon’s advice for veterans who are applying to college:
In the military, your experiences may not seem very unique to other service members, but in a college applicant pool of people from all different walks of life, your experiences in the military are what make you shine. Talk about moments that truly meant a lot to you – not just the ones you think an admissions officer will like. Sometimes even the smallest things can make the most meaningful stories as long as they're intimate and personal.
Having a mentor I shared similar experiences with helped me find value and make sense of some of the things I wanted to say in my application. They were also able to help find the best alternatives to parts of my application that were meant for a graduating high school senior since I applied as a freshman, for example, getting recommendations from recent employers instead of teachers. I would absolutely recommend having a peer mentor.
Congrats again Jonathon on your acceptance to Stanford University!
