The Sky is the Limit for Veteran, Tracy Santos
Tell us about yourself, Tracy!
Hometown: Bronx New York
Fun Fact About Yourself: I am afraid of heights, but love flying in hueys skid kid for life!
What did you do in the military: Aviation Operations
What was your proudest accomplishment in the military? Being able to lead Marines and watch them grow into amazing young men and women.
Why did you decide to pursue this education path? I am firm believer in vets want to talk to vets the same way vets would want help from vets I wanted to be able to help my fellow brothers and sisters feel comfortable coming to me about their mental health and feel comfort In knowing I can relate to their experiences and I want to do everything I can to help beyond therapy.
What was the biggest benefit to using Service to School throughout the application process? The huge amount of knowledge my mentor had about application essays. That really made a big difference in the quality of my application. I feel that essays give the admissions committee a picture of who you are without haven’t been able to see or meet you. I think there’s great importance in that. Because of service to schools I received a 30,000 dollar scholarship and admission to uri’s highly competitive neuroscience program! I couldn’t feel more blessed for this opportunity and the support I’ve gotten from service to schools and WSP!
How has the transition been from the military to civilian life? Transitioning to the 1st civ div can be extremely stressful and frightening, I joined the Marine Corps when I was 17 and until just recently it was all I knew. The amazing mentors at warrior scholar project and service to schools gave me the confidence and tools to feel like no matter how old you are or how “below the curve” you may feel you can achieve higher education! And because of your age and experiences schools want you there, in that classroom sharing a view, many need to hear!
What are you most excited about in regards to starting school? What’s your favorite part about the school you chose to matriculate at? I am very excited about university of Rhode Island’s clinical neurology program and to be able to work side by side with neurologists that have an abundance of experience and knowledge.
What are your goals post-graduation? Post graduation I would love to go to grad school and achieve a medical degree in neuroscience.
Tracy’s advice for veterans who are applying to college:
Don’t hesitate and apply to that dream school you’ve been hesitant to apply to! Service to schools has the tools and mentors you need to translate your experiences into amazing applications and work with you in every aspect of making that application stand out. They also have so many great Vetlink schools that have taken the time to team up with S2S to accept veterans into their campus!
