WILLIAMSBURG — While it may be summer break for the undergraduate students that call William & Mary home, veteran scholars happily took their seats during the annual Warrior-Scholar Project academic boot camp hosted by the college.
Warrior-Scholar Project is a nonprofit, free, academic boot camp designed to help enlisted service members and veterans transition from military to college life. The program is offered at top universities around the country to teach essential academic skills and instill confidence in its participants before they enroll in a four-year degree program.
The week-long boot camp at William & Mary is in its fourth year. Since launching in 2022, 26 veterans have completed the program at the university.
During the boot camp, students spend time working on college-level coursework and participate in writing workshops. The group also spends time together and rallies around the commonality of military service.
Dennis Go, a 26-year active duty Navy sailor, is currently pursuing his higher education options. Go noted that this academic program has been life-changing.
“I think this program really immersed me with the curriculum of being in school and the challenges that a college student would go through. However, those challenges are no different than what I go through in the Navy. There are times that you have to work overtime to get stuff done, and then there is time where you can give yourself grace. Just like the Navy sends us to boot camp to learn the essentials of manning a ship, this program is the same thing, but instead of going to a ship, you are preparing yourself to go to college,” Go said.
Julio Carpio, a Marine Corps veteran and Warrior-Scholar Project graduate, helped to facilitate this year’s event at the university.
“You really see the transformation of these students who are a little more timid and shy during the first day just blossom by the end of the week. They are so much more confident in their abilities. By the end of all of this, they seem like they are ready to take on the world,” Carpio shared.
While working with professors at William & Mary is one part of the experience, the students in the program also live in the dorms, eat in the dining hall, and experience what college life is really like.
Rafael Doolittle, who is currently transitioning out of the Air Force, attended college before serving. After attending the program at William & Mary, he’s added the university to his list of potential schools after he finishes his service career.
“I was so impressed with the wellness initiatives here. The things that the school provides veterans, it’s just such a friendly campus,” Doolittle said.
The program will return to William & Mary in 2026. To learn more about Warrior-Scholar Project, visit warrior-scholar.org.