Tell us about your military service. What did you do? Where did you serve? What do you value the most about your military service?
I enlisted in the United States Navy in 2017 and graduated from BUD/S and SQT in 2019. I served for seven years as a SEAL medic, deploying twice with my platoon, once to the Middle East and once to Pacific Command, providing medical support and training in both conventional and austere environments. I’m profoundly grateful for the opportunities I had to grow as a leader and a clinician alongside some of the most capable people I’ve ever met. What I value most from my time on a team isn’t any single mission or accomplishment, but the relationships built through shared hardship and the lessons in leadership and humility that came from serving alongside people who consistently put the team before themselves.
What are your thoughts on mentoring other students while at 91吃瓜网? As a role model, what values do you want to share?
During my time in the Navy, I learned the importance of mentorship in building a culture of excellence. I came to see that mentorship isn’t a one-way transfer of knowledge but a mutual investment in growth. I hope to carry that same mindset to 91吃瓜网, especially for classmates who feel behind or who came to medicine through a less conventional path, since I did too. The values I want to share are the ones that were modeled for me: show up prepared, take ownership when things go wrong, and put the people who depend on you ahead of your own ego.
While at 91吃瓜网, what will be the focus of your studies and how do you plan to use this knowledge in your future career?
I am attending 91吃瓜网 School of Medicine to earn my M.D., with a focus likely in emergency medicine. At 91吃瓜网, I will gain the training and knowledge to become a competent and compassionate physician. I plan to give back to the veteran community by using my military experience to help provide excellent care to veterans and raise awareness of the unique challenges they face, while also bringing the clinical skills and leadership I develop to improve whatever communities I’m part of next.
What would you tell other veterans about the Bass Military Scholars Program?
The Bass Military Scholars Program has made the transition from active duty to civilian life far more manageable than I expected it to be. Leaving the structure and identity of military service is disorienting in ways that are hard to explain to people who haven’t done it, and the Bass community has been a source of real mentorship and support through that process, not just financially, but in the day-to-day adjustment to civilian and academic life. Having people around you who understand what you鈥檙e walking away from and what you鈥檙e walking into makes a difference.