Veterans

Supporting any veteran who has served our nation proudly, and encouraging them to pursue the full extent of their dreams of higher education

Veterans at UChicago

Veteran Profiles

Andre Keith
United States Navy
Economics Major

profile photo of Andre Keith

Andre was born and raised in Connecticut and enlisted in the Navy as a nuclear electronics technician right out of high school in 2018. He trained for two years to operate and maintain the Navy’s nuclear reactors in Charleston South Carolina. After training, Andre transferred to Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut where he was stationed on SSN 788 USS Colorado.

Collin Hanson
United States Army
Economics Major

profile photo of Collin Hanson

Originally from upstate New York, Collin enlisted in the Army in the fall of 2015. Serving most recently as an Assault Team Leader, Collin spent nearly seven years as a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia. During his time there, he deployed five times to multiple theaters in support of joint special operations abroad. He served alongside our nations finest special mission units, government agencies, and foreign partner forces while conducting direct action missions in support of U.S policy and objectives around the globe.

Gabriel Loredo
United States Navy
Astrophysics Major

profile photo of Gabriel Loredo

Gabriel was born and raised in Northwest Arkansas and enlisted in the U.S. Navy for five years after graduating high school in 2016. Serving as a Hospital Corpsman, he was first stationed on Marine Corps Base Hawaii with Third Battalion, Third Marines, and went on an unaccompanied deployment to Okinawa and various other countries in Southeast Asia. He was then stationed in Newport, Rhode Island for the remainder of his enlistment. After his time in the Navy, he attended the University of Arkansas for a year while majoring in physics.

Drew Johnson
United States Army
Economics Major

profile photo of Drew Johnson

Drew was born and raised in Edgewood, Maryland, enlisting in the Army as a financial management technician. Over his 4 years of service he served at Camp Casey, South Korea, and Fort Riley Kansas. His missions allowed him to master many financial duties including budgeting, payroll, travel, and disbursement. It was through these experiences that Drew developed a passion for economics.

Jason Gunning
United States Marine Corps
Economics Major

profile photo of Jason Gunning

After growing up outside Chicago, Illinois, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps as an M1A1 tank crewman in 2012 and was assigned to Bravo Company, First Tank Battalion, Seventh Marines stationed at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms. While serving, he deployed to both the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific region. He spent most of his career as a tank gunner, supervising the crew, preparing equipment, and weapons systems.

Charles Granja
United States Marine Corps
Economics Major

profile photo of Charles Granja

Charles was raised in San Diego, California and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 2011, where he served as an infantry rifleman. While serving with 2nd Battalion 1st Marines, Charles deployed five times and was accepted into the squad leader development program. In 2018, he transferred to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines where he deployed two times, serving as a Marine advisor and rifle platoon sergeant. In 2021 Charles was accepted into a military commissioning program but ultimately decided to exit the military service to pursue his passion in the finance sector.

Joshua Monroe
United States Navy
Computer Science Major

profile photo of Joshua Monroe

Born and raised in rural Northern Michigan, Joshua enlisted in the U.S. Navy as an electronics technician in 2012, where he served with distinction for eight and a half years. After graduating from technical training at the top of his class, he served for three years as a radar and navigation systems technician aboard USS Stethem, forward-deployed with Destroyer Squadron 15 to Yokosuka, Japan. He spent the remainder of his career at Naval Special Warfare in Coronado, CA, serving as a tactical radio and network communications specialist, deploying with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit to the Arabian Sea and with SEAL Team 3 to the Indo-Pacific region.

Dawid Sura
United States Marine Corps
Computer Science and Economics Major

profile photo of Dawid Sura

Originally from Saddle Brook, New Jersey Dawid enlisted as an infantryman in the United States Marine Corps shortly after graduating high school in 2017, serving as a squad leader in 1st Battalion 3rd Marines at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. Dawid completed two deployments to Okinawa Japan, and PyeongChang, South Korea, designing and overseeing training exercises for his platoon and oversaw the 12 Marines under his command.

Kyle Lechner
United States Navy
Economics Major

profile photo of Kyle Lechner

Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Kyle joined the Navy in October of 2013 as a master-at-arms. Kyle spent his career working small boat operations in Spain and San Diego while conducting maritime security and intelligence collection throughout the Horn of Africa and the Arabian waterways. He deployed to Oman, United Arab Emirates, Djibouti, and Diego Garcia. He also participated in multiple campaigns, including Operation Inherent Resolve, Operation Afghan Refuge, and Operations Allies Welcome.

Seth Poling
United States Air Force
Political Science & History Major

profile photo of Seth Poling

Born and raised in Lima, Ohio, Seth enlisted in the U.S. Air Force a year in a half after high school as an information technology technician, working at the Pacific Air Force headquarters located on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. While stationed at Hickam, he supported, maintained, and ensured reliable network operations for 10 Air Force bases scattered across the Pacific. Seth enjoyed coding and troubleshooting network problems to make sure other bases had reliable access to the Air Force network.

Luke Magyar
United States Marine Corps
Global Studies Major

profile photo of Luke Magyar

Growing up in New Bern, North Carolina, Luke enlisted in the Marine Corps as an intelligence specialist. Throughout his five years of service, Luke was stationed at Camp Lejeune, NC, deploying with a Marine Expeditionary Unit to the Middle East and separately to Norway and Ukraine. While deployed, Luke coordinated intelligence activities and analyzed disaggregate information to create coherent products driving intelligence gathering and operations. While in the Marine Corps, Luke became a certified defense all-source analyst conferred by the Defense Intelligence Agency and the Under-Secretary of Defense for Intelligence.

Aidan Nicholas
United States Navy
Physics Major

profile photo of Aidan Nicholas

Aidan grew up in Northwest New Jersey before enlisting as a Navy nuclear technician. He spent two years in tech school in South Carolina where he worked in a reactor control division on the nuclear submarine USS Pasadena. He then moved to San Diego to deploy to the Western Pacific, eventually returning to the East Coast and a new homeport in Norfolk, Virginia. After leaving the Navy he spent six months biking around Europe and the United Kingdom.

Charly Youn
United States Army
Economics Major

profile photo of Charly Youn

Charly was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea. Since he was young, Charly looked up to his grandparents, who fought during the Korean War, and dedicated himself to joining the military. Upon graduating high school in South Korea, Charly served five years in the U.S. Army as an automated logistics specialist, where he developed his passion for economics, taking charge of a warehouse function and an automated supply accounting system to distribute supplies and manage military equipment in preparation for potential Russian attacks.

Joshua Kim
United States Army
Economics Major

profile photo of Joshua Kim

Josh grew up in Chicago before moving to Georgia where he enlisted in the U.S. Army as a medic. After completing his lengthy training, he was assigned to the 514th Ground Ambulance Company at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Josh served as an ambulance aid and supported many COVID-19 missions the past two years.

Alex Gappert
United States Navy
Economics Major

Born in Portland, Oregon and raised in Denver, Colorado, Alex enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 2016 as an air traffic controller where he served for three years on the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) aircraft carrier and for two years at Naval Station Rota, Spain. During his time on CVN 75, he was deployed twice to the Mediterranean, the Red, and the Arabian Seas and served as the air operations supervisor and 3M maintenance person. In Rota, Alex was a part of the Operation Allies Refuge mission where he assisted in the emergency operations center and served as a ground controller, flight planning supervisor, and air operations duty officer.

Adam Smith
United States Army
Economics Major

Adam was born and raised in Central Arkansas, enlisting as an infantryman in the Army National Guard in 2012, returning home in 2019. He still misses range days and those moments one only shares with fellow servicemembers. The first of his family to leave the South, and with the support of his “Yankee partner,” Adam is eager to feed a nascent thirst for knowledge by embracing, as he puts it, “the expansiveness of the world.”

Kristian Payne
United States Army
Anthropology Major

Kristian was born in Japan but raised in Louisiana where he enlisted in the US Army as a satellite communications operator and maintainer. Kristian served 6 years as a communicator for 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne). He deployed twice to Afghanistan and once to the Baltic region to support Special Forces ODA’s located in austere conditions. These deployments and the exposure to foreign cultures instilled in Kristian a deep respect for the past, urging him to pursue a career in archaeology.

Tom Shahaf
United States Marine Corps
Computer Science Major

Originally from Israel, Tom moved to the U.S. at the age of 10. He enlisted into the United States Marine Corps and deployed twice to the Middle East. During his service, he was a squad leader focused on training and mentoring subordinates in a combat environment. Additionally, he graduated from a variety of courses ranging from drone operations, intelligence collection, and advanced infantry tactics.

Longyang Li
United States Navy
Computer Science Major

Longyang was born in China before moving to Queens, New York at the age of 14. While she was still in High School, she decided to join the United States Navy, graduating from NAS Pensacola as an aviation support equipment technician. During her service she was stationed at FRC West Fort Worth where she supported and maintained 100% flight readiness for both Navy and Marine air missions. She also served on the base honor guard, performing funerary services and special event support.

Isaiah Martin
United States Air Force
Mathematics Major

Originally from Huntsville, Alabama, Isaiah spent six years in the Air Force serving as a weather forecaster. Isaiah’s first duty station in 2016 was at Scott AFB in Illinois as part of the 15th Operational Weather Squadron, where he served as a weather forecaster. His second tour was at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center on Joint Base Pearl Harbor- Hickam. During his time at the JTWC, Isaiah served as a satellite analyst, analyzing tropical cyclones for the Navy.

Jordan Lane
United States Navy
Economics Major

Jordan was raised in rural southern Georgia and enlisted in the Navy in 2015. While in the Navy, he completed two years of schooling to become a nuclear electronics technician in Charleston, South Carolina, and Ballston Spa, New York. After training, Jordan served on a submarine in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, where he operated and maintained the submarine’s nuclear reactor. He completed two six-month deployments with the submarine and other numerous shorter missions.

Arial Joiner
United States Navy
Economics Major

Ariel grew up in rural Arkansas before joining the US Navy. During her eight years of service, Ariel was stationed in Bremerton, Washington & Pensacola, Florida completing 5 years of sea service with 45 months of underway experience. Ariel deployed to northern Asia, the Equator, and completed an eight-month world tour as an aviation boatswain mate. Her primary job included flight deck operations, maintenance on hydro- pneumatic steam engines, and tac welding for the USS John C. Stennis arresting gear and catapults.

Alexander Bilochenko
United States Navy
Economics Major

The first year of Alexander's military service was spent near Chicago. He was enthralled by the Windy City and promised he would one day return. After training, Alexander found himself in Yokosuka, Japan, stationed aboard the guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam (CG-54). While on CG- 54, Alexander deployed five times, routinely firing large-caliber guns and missiles, fighting fires with the underway emergency response team, and engaging in Freedom of Navigation operations in the South China Sea.

Nicole Jarvis
United States Air Force
Biological Chemistry

Born and raised in Central California, Nicole enlisted in the U.S Air Force as a munitions systems specialist in 2015. During her time in the military, Nicole completed overseas tours in Guam, South Korea, and Italy. She assembled, inspected, and oversaw the delivery of various munitions to multiple aircraft frames for both the U.S and international allies.

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A Holistic Approach to Supporting Veterans

UChicago takes a holistic approach to Veterans Services with a “one-stop-shop model” that provides admission support and access – a customized application process, dedicated career counseling and programming, academic advising, social programming, tailored financial aid, unique housing, and student support services. UChicago’s Veteran Scholars cohort includes representation from all 5 branches of the U.S. Military with occupations ranging from Infantry and Special Forces to logistics and linguistics.

A New Path to Admissions

The college search process and applying to the nation’s top colleges can be daunting for those currently serving or having recently left military service. UChicago has developed key partnerships and a streamlined pathway for Veterans to find a list of the best schools that are a fit for them as well as a better process of applying to the University of Chicago:

  • Our partner programs include Warrior Scholar Project and Service to School.
  • Learn more about our dedicated admission process and Veterans Application.
  • We dedicate an admissions representative to assist you through the process and support your interests in higher education, whether that is at UChicago or another University.
UChicago Veterans Scholars
"UChicago emulates the commitment to excellence that I felt while serving in the Special Operations Community."—Matthew Stark, Army Veteran, UChicago Veteran Scholar, Class of 2023

Transition Program

The transition from military service to the campus environment can be a difficult one. UChicago has created a pre-orientation program offering academic preparation designed to maximize individual potential. The program also connects our Veteran Scholars to VA services, offers an introduction to career programming coupled with professional development opportunities, and builds relationships between students.

  • Providing an academic focus rooted in calculus and methods/ writing curriculum that offers the UChicago level of rigor without the impact of permanent grades.
  • Connecting students with VA Support; professionals in healthcare enrollment, claims processes, and benefits ahead of classes beginning.
  • Building relationships among scholars (through social opportunities and various workshops)

A Unique Housing Experience

Living in community with the University campus is an important part of the UChicago experience. Often student veterans are forced to decide between adopting a commuter student lifestyle, or living in traditional residence halls that represent their experiences in the barracks a bit too closely. UChicago has developed a third option that affords student veterans and their families the opportunity to live together enjoying great apartments in community with the campus and other veterans while retaining independence.

  • Offering a campus community location
  • Apartment style living (studio through 2 bed/2bath options)
  • Inclusive of family and pets
  • Featuring UChicago House and Hall Affiliation
  • Veteran community support
What I really like about UChicago’s academic environment is that inquiry doesn’t stop at 'I’ve given you this problem, solve it my way.' It actually opens the field up to 'Here’s a number of ways you can tackle it, I want to see what your creativity and your intellectual rigor produces.
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Alex Kilbourne
Army Veteran, UChicago Veteran Scholar, Class of 2023

Social Programming

Community and social programs remain just as important out of the military as they were in. UChicago affords opportunities designed to strengthen bonds and promote the success of our Veteran Scholars, while providing an environment for engagement by campus partners, other students, and families.

  • Opportunities to have fun and build community with other veterans and their families
  • Building relationships with students/staff/faculty community
  • Esprit de Corps and Morale
UChicago Veteran Scholars
"The students and alumni are known throughout the world for their academic achievement and accomplishments in many different fields of study." —Colin Augustson, Marine Corps Veteran, UChicago Veteran Scholar, Class of 2024

Dedicated Academic Advisor

The path to graduation can be overwhelming at times. Decisions regarding class selection, declaring majors/minors – and associating career and graduate school paths with those decisions are common. UChicago includes academic advising for our Veteran Scholars designed to draw from individual backgrounds and interests, while offering an intersection of services that provides a one-stop-shop to support their success.

  • Support/identify your academic goals
  • Faculty outreach
  • Dedicated no cost tutoring

Career Advising

Building on incredible systems of pre-professional programs, experiential education, and employer relations, we support our Veteran Scholars with internships, career preparation, and employment opportunities along with tailored advising in conjunction with our one-stop-shop approach with Academic Advising.

  • Customized career events/ workshops/ Treks
  • Employer engagement
  • Translating military experience into civilian experience
  • Funded internships and research opportunities
UChicago fosters a culture of inclusion and engagement, no matter your background. Since before I even arrived on campus I felt welcomed, supported, and empowered as a student.
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Kaedy Puckett
Navy Veteran, UChicago Veteran Scholar, Class of 2023

Programs and Support

Being a Veteran Scholar at UChicago means access to a dedicated one-stop-shop of services and programming that enables the student veteran throughout their College experience.

  • Social Programming to strengthen relationships among student veterans as well as with the campus community
  • Career Programming providing customized events, workshops, and engagements for student veterans and employers
  • Academic Advising tailored to the individual student veteran's academic goals and desired career outcome while providing access to tutoring and support
  • Professional Development opportunities including a speaker series and opportunities for engagement
  • Supporting Financial Needs to include support with tuition and fees, cost of living, healthcare and identifying gaps with VA education benefits to provide seamless support
"The Veteran Scholars program brings together veterans from different backgrounds, branches, and job occupations and instantly provides us a network of people who believe veterans can succeed at elite institutions such as the University of Chicago."—Jason Guba, Marine Corps Veteran, UChicago Veteran Scholar, Class of 2023

Army ROTC is a registered student organization offered on campus at the University of Chicago. Students participate in physical training, classes, and leadership labs on campus.  The training a student receives in Army ROTC provides leadership development, military skills and career training. In addition to joining a growing community, there are opportunities for scholarships which include tuition and a stipend. Upon completion of the program, an Army ROTC graduate is commissioned as an officer in the Army. 

More information is available at UChicago Army ROTC

"I love UChicago ROTC because when I can start my day surrounded by a group of people who care about me and build me both physically and mentally, my college experience is inevitably phenomenal."—Cadet Jonathan Merrill '23
image of ROTC oath
A recent graduate being commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army

UChicago is committed to supporting our Veteran Scholars. The College participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program.

We are also happy to waive your application fee.

"The University of Chicago Veteran Scholars program is one of the top Ivy/ Ivy plus programs for veterans. From financial aid and on-campus resources to personalized academic and career advising for veterans, UChicago has proven that it not only wants high-performing veterans on campus, but that it is well-prepared to fully support them. I am beyond grateful to be a student and veteran at UChicago."—Kaedy Puckett, Navy Veteran, UChicago Veteran Scholar, Class of 2023

Have additional questions? Please contact:

  • Nicole Mullen — Director of Veterans Admissions
  • Beau Butts — Executive Director - Veterans Initiatives, Programs, and Services