Student Spotlight: Bobby Chang, USMC

Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Bobby Chang, and I am an active-duty Marine. I serve as an aviation technician at Marine Corps Base Quantico. I decided to join the military because I felt especially lost in both direction and sense of purpose after the pandemic occurred. Joining the military helped me rekindle both of them. A fun fact about me is that I play the cello—although I currently don’t have one with me.

Did you have any college experience before attending your Warrior-Scholar Project boot camp? Why did you decide to apply?

While in the Marine Corps, I utilized military tuition assistance to earn an Associate’s degree in Computer Science, giving me some college experience. I decided to participate in Warrior-Scholar Project’s humanities academic boot camp at the University of Virginia because I wanted to explore the humanities side of college, as I’ve always been more of a STEM person. I also wanted to connect with other like-minded individuals.

What were you feeling going into the first day of your boot camp? Did you experience a shift in your confidence as the week progressed? 

I felt a bit anxious, though that quickly resolved itself since the class environment was very communicative and supportive. I’m a big foodie, so the good food from their cafeteria helped as well 😀. As for confidence, I already had a sense of it to begin with, since I already had some college under my belt. Although I would say I feel even more confident now!

What are some of the key takeaways from your boot camp experience? Is there one thing that stood out to you?

First, not all tasks require a deep analysis, as there may not be sufficient time for it. Next, the quality of education is not dependent solely on a school’s name. However, the most important thing I learned is that you need to have a balanced mindset alternating between growth and fixed mindsets, depending on the circumstances—it is unsustainable to be permanently in a high-growth mindset.

How would you describe your overall experience?

I would say the overall experience was pleasant and very memorable. The instructors were phenomenal, some of the best instructors I’ve had, period. The food was surprisingly delicious, granted, I’m used to barracks food. And of course, the atmosphere was awesome—everyone was there to learn and grow.