BOLD - Navigating the Military to Civilian Transition
This is the third installment of BOLD - A University of St. Thomas Podcast, a series that creates a dialogue and aims to inspire, encourage and aid students—current and prospective— to “Be Your Bold Self.” New episodes are published bi-weekly. If you have an idea for a potential podcast guest or topic, send them to Darnell Miller at dmiller@stthom.edu.
Student and Veteran Luis Varela speaks with Alex Yemeck about his experience serving in the military. He shares insights about the sense of family the military offers, why he served and lessons he learned in the military. Varela also speaks on returning to civilian life, the role UST played in his family and why he decided to pursue a Master of Science in Applied Data Science after earning his bachelor's degree.
Watch a video version of the podcast here.
Overview:
00:01:25 - Luis’ UST Family Legacy
00:03:45 -What is Data Science
00:07:45 - Why Luis Joined the Military
00:10:50 - The Idea of Sacrifice
00:12:35 - Challenges in Transitioning Back to Civilian Life
00:16:00 - Effects on the Family
00:22:30 - Dealing with the Politics of the Military
00:25:45 - Why Return to UST for a Master’s
00:24:05 - The Varela Family
00:30:00 - Alex Takes the Opportunity to Thank Luis for his Service
During the Podcast, Varela shared the philosophy and family motto that has guided him. The motto reads: God, Family, Country before Oneself.
For Varela, the order of the motto is important. Being raised Catholic, God comes before everything else. Still, an integral part of the faith is being a service to others. For Varela and his family that meant service towards one another and then service to the community around them. It was a natural step for Varela to take that idea of service and translate it into military service for the country.
Resources from this episode
