Marcus Garcia left the United States Coast Guard to pursue a different kind of mission: an engineering degree from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.
Garcia accomplished that mission as part of the UCCS Class of 2007 but won’t be donning cap and gown Friday as part of the largest graduating class in UCCS history. Instead, Garcia will tend his post as an intelligence specialist, second class stationed in Ar Ramadi, a U.S. Navy special warfare camp three hours west of Baghdad.
Approximately 1,700 December and May graduates are eligible to attend annual commencement exercises. More than 1,000 are expected to participate with friends and family filling the World Arena.
Though not walking across a stage to receive a diploma or enjoying a graduation party in his honor, commencement day remains triumphant for the Coronado High School grad. UCCS gave him many tools he’s relied on in shouldering intense responsibility, pressure, and grueling work hours in a war zone.
“I take all the valuable lessons I learned, from my leadership abilities and classes to serving others, and use them to hopefully bring something to the table here in Iraq,” Garcia, who served on UCCS Student Government for two years and was president of the Latino Student Union, said. “I am gaining a lot of valuable experience.”
Upon returning from his Iraq tour, Garcia plans to put his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering to use at Colorado Springs Utilities, where he worked as a field engineer throughout college. He’ll also apply for an officer’s commission in the Coast Guard or Navy.
Until the day arrives that he puts on civilian clothes and heads off to a different kind of job, Garcia said thoughts of home and news from family and friends help him tackle each day as a soldier.
“The thing I miss most about not being home is having dinner and simply chatting with my family and friends,” he said. “I get emails with pictures that really make one more day in Iraq that much easier to get through.”
UCCS, located on Austin Bluffs Parkway in northeast Colorado Springs, is the fastest growing university in Colorado and one of the fastest growing universities in the nation. The university offers 29 bachelor’s degrees, 18 master’s and four doctoral degrees. The campus enrolls about 7,600 students annually. For more information, visit http://www.uccs.edu.