Student Spotlight 2022: David Nagley, U.S. Army

Tell us about yourself.

I am from Pennington, Nj, and I joined the Army, where I served as an infantryman. I decided to join the military because I was lost on the road of life. I failed two college classes in the same semester and knew I needed a change. While contemplating my next step, I remembered my childhood dream of being an infantryman and decided to try it out. A fun fact about me is that I have an incredibly high handicap in golf.

What was your educational background prior to attending WSP, and which of our courses did you attend? 

Before attending WSP at the University of Pennsylvania for humanities and Princeton University for STEM, I completed 32 credits in community college. 

Why did you decide to participate in WSP this summer, and was there a shift in your confidence level from the first day of the course to the last day? 

I was scrolling online for programs to help me with college and kept hearing about WSP. I did some research and decided why the heck not. I was immediately terrified about the possibility of failure. 

On the first day, my confidence was lower than low, and I struggled to think how I would succeed in college if I couldn’t even get past the first day. On the last day of the course, I felt invincible. I knew college would be an accomplishable dream with a little hard work and dedication. I was so eager and determined to start my semester. The only issue was I had to wait two months to get the wheels going. 

What were some key insights you gained during your courses, and what is your biggest takeaway?

The most significant insight gained was that whatever you put in is what you will get out of it. To thrive consistently, I will need to focus and work hard. I will be rewarded with passing classes and gaining a deeper understanding of the material. Overall, the most important thing I learned is TIME MANAGEMENT! I cannot say it enough. I learned how to quickly and critically read while managing an intense workload on a cramped schedule. This skill streamlined my effectiveness, and college has been significantly easier this time around. 

In one word, how would you describe your overall experience?

Awakening!