SAN MARCOS — Marine Corps Veteran Clayton McCabe thought that college was out of the picture in his life; however, that was not the case.
Throughout McCabe’s life, he followed his father and grandfather’s footsteps who have both worked in manual labor jobs in construction.
In addition, he spent 10 years in the military with hopes of becoming more mature and exploring the country.
“I barely graduated high school and was working at UPS and didn’t have a sense of direction in my life. I had gone to college because I thought it was something everybody else did was go to community college,” said McCabe.
After attempting college, McCabe decided to join the military because of the amount of direction he had in his life and was sent to boot camp two months after talking to the Marine Corps recruiter’s office. His role in the Marines was an 1833 -Amphibious Assault Vehicle Crew Chief.
During his service in the Marines, the hardest challenge for McCabe was the change of lifestyle of being away from friends and family. However, he was able to meet a lot of new people in the military and built connections that would last a lifetime.
Despite the challenges McCabe faced in the military, he mentioned how important it was to connect with other Marines because they are were going on the same journey together.
“I just tried to make as many friends that I could and that’s what really helped me get through my trials because when things are rough, you’re not the only one going through it,” said McCabe.
In 2017, McCabe retired from the Marines and attended San Joaquin Valley College (SJVC) in Temecula with hopes of receiving a degree in Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC).
However, he found out that manual labor and construction wasn’t meant to be and decided to work as a faculty manager at the gym fixing gym equipment.
When asked about the transition from serving the country to SJVC, McCabe mentioned that it was difficult because he went from having a bunch of friends to being lonely again.
After going to SJVC, McCabe realized how much potential he would have attending college using his GI bill and to find out what interests him.
“I just tried something new and went back to college with the first two semesters being a little rough but not terrible. I started to adjust like I did to the Marine Corps and realized like wow, this isn’t really that bad,” said McCabe.
Throughout college, McCabe was able to stay successful through his dedication to classes and discipline to get work done instead of procrastinating.
McCabe’s biggest challenge he faced going to community college was the commute from Temecula where his family lived and balancing his personal life of being a father. However, working for the Veterans Center at Palomar and Cal State San Marcos has helped him through the trails in college and found what he is passionate about which is being around people.
“We all have hard classes and are trying to get that degree and knowing that other people are going through the same thing as me gives me a sense of peace,” said McCabe.
For Veterans wondering if college is the right thing to do after serving the country, McCabe mentioned how important it is to use the GI Bill because the possibilities are endless.
According to an article by Air.Org, “More than half (54%) of eligible enlisted military veterans used PGIB benefits to pay for their higher education between 2009 and 2019.”
At Palomar College, the Veterans Center offers a variety of support to retired military individuals including specific tutoring, snack options, and a peer mentor program allowing students to feel more comfortable on campus.
Adam Pipitone, a Veteran Services Specialist, mentioned how the program is helpful for Veteran’s success throughout college and the importance of being a safe space for students to express themselves.
“Our goals of the office are that we are the liaison between the student and their federal VA benefits so we submit students certifications and provide academic counseling for them to make sure we are on track to meet their education goals,” said Pipitone.
