Cal Shin

Third Time's the Charm: A Veteran Student's Journey

For many students, the journey to college is a well-beaten path—college applications during senior year of high school, acceptances, commitments, and moving in as a newly matriculated first-year student, all within a year. However, US Air Force veteran Randle Y. '27's journey was anything but conventional. After enlisting in the military to change the course of his life, Randle discovered a passion for education, leading him to apply to Dartmouth not once, not twice, but three times. He is now a proud Dartmouth student majoring in Government, with a minor in Human-Centered Design. 

Can you tell us about your military background and what led you to serve?
I didn't really have many other options in my life, and I was going to be homeless. I didn't have an education, so I certainly wasn't going to college at that time, either. My grades were terrible. I barely graduated high school, so I needed to make a really big change in my life. A lot of the people in my life, mainly close family and friends that had been in the military themselves, recommended that I join the military. I talked to a lot of different veterans before I enlisted, from all different branches. The feedback that I got is that if I wanted better education opportunities and a better quality of life, then the Air Force was probably the way to go. So that's what I did. I was in the Air Force for four years active duty. I joined in 2018 and got out in 2022.

What inspired you to pursue higher education after your military service? 
I volunteered to deploy to the Middle East in 2021. That was around the time the Afghanistan withdrawal was going on, so I got to be pretty up close to that. I wasn't in Afghanistan; I was in Qatar, but they brought everybody from Afghanistan to us because we were the closest space by proximity. Having to take care of the refugees every day and the stress made me think, Wow, this might be a good time to look at getting out. College seemed like a really great next for me. 
I started applying to colleges when I was deployed. When I got out, I started going to college at Miami University in Ohio because it was near family and friends. I did a semester there and didn't really like it. I applied to some other schools and spent two semesters at UT Austin before I came to Dartmouth. 

What was your college application journey like as a veteran? 
I applied to Dartmouth three times. My first application to Dartmouth was in 2021 for the 2022-2023 academic year, and they said no. I applied again the next year for the 2023-2024 academic year; they said no again. The third time I applied for the 2024-2025 academic year, they said yes. 
As for the application process, Dartmouth has its own veteran transfer application, which is really awesome. It's super easy to use and very streamlined. Dartmouth is a partner school with this organization called Service to School, a nonprofit that helps veterans get into partner schools. One of the things you submit is a veteran addendum. It takes all of your military history, awards, decorations, and military career, and it presents that to the school in a way that the admissions officers can understand. Because my military history is a big part of my application, being able to translate that into civilian terms was really important. 

Why did you choose Dartmouth? 
When I was looking at colleges, I knew that I wanted to go to a really small liberal arts college. I've always been attracted to historical places that have a huge lineage, kind of like the military. The military is very, very old. Dartmouth College is very, very old. Being associated with those old institutions and traditions usually tends to change your life. Just as being associated with the military has changed my life forever, I'm sure that being associated with Dartmouth, my life will change again once I graduate. 
I'm also a pretty big outdoorsman. My entire adult life, I was probably outside doing something, and I really like how Dartmouth emphasizes having fun and making connections through the outdoors. Plus, Dartmouth has its own skiway, and as a snowboarder, I thought, This is the coolest thing ever. I believe that getting outdoors and spending time in nature is really important, and Dartmouth seemed to emphasize that the most. I remember when I took a tour at Dartmouth, I wasn't really sure, because there's so much of the place that you don't see on the tour.
I remember being nervous and wondering, Am I going to fit in here? I tried to imagine myself in this space, which is hard to do when you're taking a tour. So I got a rental car and drove around Hanover during the summer, and it was beautiful. I thought, This is the coolest place ever. I want to be here. 

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced transitioning from military service to college life?
When leaving the military, you lose your job, retirement plan, healthcare plan, and the place you lived in one swoop. Everything is taken away from you, and you're thrust back into civilian life. There's a lot of mental and physical things that you have to go through as well. It can be really, really tough for a lot of veterans. What do I do with my life now? 
My first term really felt like I was back in high school again, and I was trying to fit in. Everybody here is super excited to be here, so that made the transition a lot easier. Everyone wants to hang out or go do something outside. My first week on campus, I would hang out at the River all the time, meet new people, and make friends. 

What is it like being a "non-traditional" student at Dartmouth? 
Compared to my other experiences at other schools, I feel less alienated. Here at Dartmouth, everyone's individual education path is truly their own. The norm here is that everyone is just trying to figure themselves out, and there's no right or wrong way to go about your Dartmouth education. Everyone here is super welcoming, and they truly want to get to know me, my story, and how I got here. There's no judgment, which is really refreshing. 

How does your current experience at Dartmouth compare to what you expected before starting? Has anything surprised you? 
I'm a first-generation student, and coming from a low-income background, I was really scared that I wasn't going to fit in. There are stigmas that schools like Dartmouth attract very affluent people, and I was worried I'd be thrown into a corner. It has not been like that whatsoever. What really blew my expectations out of the water was getting to participate in First-Year Trips. I went on the "Most Strenuous Hiking" trip, and it was so much fun. I'm on this really awesome hiking trip with a great group of people who are new students just like me. We were all in the same boat trying to figure this out. Not one person complained on that trip the whole time. 
I remember ending our hiking trip at Moosilauke Lodge, finding out that First-Year Trips is student-run, and seeing all the time and effort the upperclassmen put into this for us. They were singing and dancing and making meals for us. I thought, Wow, the students here really care about making this experience great for other students. That was when I knew this was the place to be. 

What aspects of Dartmouth's social life are you engaged with (clubs, Greek life, etc.) that have helped you feel more connected? 
While I am not associated with Greek Life, I'm involved in the Dartmouth Mountain Biking Club, Surf Club, snowboarding, and on the triathlon team. I also teach snowboard lessons at the Skiway as well this term. I'm pretty involved with my housing community, South House. I go to most of their events, and I'm on their intramural (IM) team. I did IM Soccer last term, and this term, I'm on the South House hockey team. 

Additionally, I am involved in the Dartmouth Undergraduate Veterans Association. I believe we currently have 12 undergraduate veterans, and we are a very tight-knit group, with social events every term. One of the coolest ones is that the owner of Lou's, a diner in Hanover, is a Marine Corps veteran, and the first Friday of every month, he invites all the veterans from Hanover (including the student veterans) to have breakfast at Lou's. Additionally, Dean Morgan is amazing. She's a miracle worker who jumps through any and all hoops for us. If we have any issues, she always points us in the right direction. She makes sure that we are seen not only by the President of the College, but also the Deans of the College. We'll have dinners with some of the interim deans of the college, which is crazy! They want to make sure that we have visibility here on campus.

How would you describe the support Dartmouth offers for veteran students? 
Healthcare is important for veterans, and in terms of healthcare, we have a Veterans Affairs hospital (VA) nearby, which is rated as one of the best in the country. Additionally, the Dartmouth healthcare system is awesome. It's super easy to get seen at Dick's House, the campus clinic, for anything that you need. Dartmouth does a really great job of making sure that we're set up with everything that we need, from getting appropriate housing to the right healthcare plan. 

What advice would you give to other veterans considering Dartmouth or college in general?
Applying to any institution is a really scary step. A lot of veterans won't even apply to school because they think they don't have any chance of getting in. Don't self-select. Don't take yourself out of the running. Make the schools say no to you. I was really determined not to take no for an answer. 

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.