Today is Monday. For some, Monday is the “dreaded” day where your weekend officially ends and you return to work. For others, it might be the start of a week at home with kiddos, a week filled with cleaning, errands, and running around. But today, for many, it is the first day of classes at two schools in our area.
Sam is a graduate student at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He is in his final class of his graduate career as I type this post (okay, he was in class a little earlier–by the time this is done he will be out of class for the day). He has worked so hard, overcome so much, and in 16 weeks, he will have completed all the courses necessary with his graduate program.
Sam will have a master’s degree.
I think back to when I first met Sam. I was a graduate student and he was working at SIU as an adjunct faculty member in the Veteran Services Office. He was a Peer Support on campus for student veterans who were returning to higher education, college, and a new life after being in the military (although some were still active duty, in the reserves or National Guard). Some of his student veterans were retired, ready to embark on a new journey, ready to write a new chapter.
What some of you may not know is that Sam was just like those returning student veterans. During his bachelor’s degree years, Sam started and stopped college courses three different times. Not because he was indecisive about his major, not because he did not want to be in class, not because he just did not care, but because he was given orders to serve, a calling that many do not answer (and I don’t mean that in a bad way).
Sam is a three-time combat veteran. He served in the Army for twelve years. Each time he went on a tour (two to Iraq and one to Afghanistan), he was working on his college degree in design.
Each time he started a semester, he received orders at some point to leave. When he returned, those familiar faces in classes were gone, some graduated, and he was in with a new group of design students.
Each time he started a semester, he was reintegrating into a system where rules, regulations, and constant hypervigiliance is not necessary. He was always aware of his surroundings, his classmates, and the fact that he could be called to deploy again (at any moment).
What amazes me about Sam is that he continues to reach his goals even though he struggles with memory loss. Sam went through many treacherous missions while deployed and as he puts it “was blown up a few times.” Imagine going to class, not knowing really what you covered the class (or semester) before without refreshing or reviewing notes and lectures that you recorded. Traumatic brain injury and memorization sometimes do not mix.
With all of the ups and downs, working a full time job that is mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausting at times, being a family man, and needing time to decompress to do woodworking or simply being outdoors, I am incredibly proud of Sam. I’m in awe of his perseverance through the tough times. I admire him for not giving up, for sticking with a bachelors degree through three deployments, and I am so incredibly proud of him for realizing his potential and his pursuit of the master’s degree in Public Administration.
Happy first day of class in your last semester of graduate school, my love. I am with you each and every step of the way.
