The Marine Corps strives to promote educational success for Marines and their families by providing resources such as the Marine Deployed Education Programs, library programs, Military Academic Skills Program, military tuition assistance, United Services Military Apprenticeship Program, Sailor/Marine American Council on Education Registry Transcript, and Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges Marine Corps.
Using these resources helped a 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing mechanic further his education and gain acceptance to Princeton University. Marine Corps Cpl. Tyler Eddy, who hails from Danville, Indiana, completed several online courses during his enlistment, which led to his acceptance into Princeton.
Eddy is currently an airframes mechanic assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 169 here.
Eddy applied to several colleges, including Harvard University, Yale University, the University of Chicago, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Princeton. He also strove to make good grades at Palomar College in San Diego, where he earned almost 60 credits and was involved in multiple volunteer events.
“If you’re a good Marine and you start taking night classes, you are lining yourself up perfectly to get accepted into college,” Eddy said.
Opportunities
Marines should take advantage of every opportunity available to advance their education levels, Eddy said, adding that this will help them in the future, whether they decide to stay in the Marine Corps or end their service.
“Education is highly valued in the Marine Corps because it gives you a set of skills that will help you succeed in life after and in the Marine Corps,” said Marine Corps Capt. Patrick Silberberg, a UH-1Y Huey helicopter pilot here.
According to Silberberg, Marine Corps doctrine encourages Marines to seek self-improvement, whether it’s physical fitness or furthering technical education. Eddy exemplifies what it means to seek opportunities for self-improvement, he said.
This July, Eddy is expected to complete his active-duty enlistment with the Marine Corps and move to Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey, for the fall semester. Eddy plans to pursue a doctorate in physics.
“My dream is to get a job at either NASA or the [Space Exploration Technologies Corporation],” Eddy said. “Having prior experience working on aircraft will definitely help me build credibility.”
He added, “Colleges look at everything about you as a human being, so the Marine Corps will set you up with everything you require to succeed. If you do things the Marine Corps pushes you to do anyway, such as volunteering or broadening your leadership abilities, it can only drive you closer to success.”