Student Spotlight: Marcos Garcia, USMC
Tell us a little about yourself.
My name is Marcos Garcia, and I am from San Diego, CA. I serve as an explosive ordnance disposal technician in the United States Marine Corps. I joined the military to experience adventure and give myself time to mature from my teenage years. I also wanted to take on what I perceived as one of the toughest jobs in the military. Outside of the Marine Corps, I enjoy free diving and riding dirt bikes. Although both activities provide a rush, I particularly enjoy challenging my body to remain cool, calm, and collected under challenging situations.
Did you have any college experience before attending your Warrior-Scholar Project boot camp? Why did you decide to apply?
Before enlisting in the Marine Corps, I had completed a year of community college. While on active duty, I have periodically taken a college course every few semesters. I decided to apply to Warrior-Scholar Project because I wanted to deepen my resource pool for higher education and improve my basic academic skills as much as possible so that I can take on a heavy course load before transitioning out of the military.
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 was nervous when I arrived at the humanities academic boot camp at the University of Notre Dame, especially after seeing how demanding the course schedule was for the week. However, I rapidly had a change in attitude once the fellows (WSP alumni who serve as peer mentors) sat us down and emphasized how important the self-monitoring of our mental and physical health would be during the program. The other thing that helped was the fact that there were no grades given out: what you get is what you put into the program.
What are some of the key takeaways from your boot camp experience? Is there one thing that stood out to you?
There are far too many to list, but here are a few important ones: writing is a structured process with tools to help you push through sticking points, an open yet critical mind is necessary, and being confident enough to ask for help is one of the best strategies for success in a classroom. But the most important lesson I learned is to never be afraid to contribute in class or to simply talk to a professor. You never know what kind of connections or interactions those conversations can lead to!
How would you describe your overall experience?
Amazing and incredibly insightful! Despite the late nights spent reading and writing, I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.
Do you have any parting words?
Give it a chance, honestly try, and keep an open mind. I had heard previously from veterans that this was a life-changing experience, but I definitely remained skeptical, even through the course. Now that I am done with my boot camp, I can confidently say I was wrong, and it did change my life.