 So, my name is Marissa Nicholson. I grew up in Michigan. I went to a high school. They really showed us how to be leaders and advocates for our community. We did a lot of outreach programs going to Haiti and Africa. So instilling those leadership skills in me, I wanted to take it elsewhere and have a new experience. So, I would always come and visit Wisconsin, so I decided that why not Wisconsin? Wisconsin was the best next place to come. So choosing a college was a pretty difficult decision. I was faced with options such as Marquette and UWM, and MATC was pretty much a last choice. My mom attended Marquette and UWM, so I was kind of pushed in that direction. However, I decided to choose MATC, and it has been the best decision because of the opportunities that they have provided me. I was able to get my feet wet and still enjoy the college experience while not spending a bunch of money, not getting lost in a classroom field of 500 people. I wanted to choose a career field that embodied both passion and experience, and I believe that the law enforcement program catered to both of those. However, as I got into the program, I realized that the program was geared towards becoming a police officer, and that was not what I envisioned for myself. So expanding my options, instead of dropping the program off together, I just decided to build off of that and get an associate's in liberal arts so that I may transfer to a school like UWM or Florida State University to continue on my education. I ended up enrolling in Milwaukee Area Technical College about a semester after I graduated, and there is where I met my recruiter. Next thing you know, I'm in his office, and we're discussing more about what the Army has to offer and what I can offer the Army. Next thing you know, I am a soldier in the United States Army. So being a veteran on campus is a whole new world from when I was a student. When I was a student, I had to focus on school and school only. That was my main priority. Now that I'm a veteran, I have to focus on school as well as making sure that when I return to drills, that I am up to military code and standard. I have to snap back in just that quick. There are so many opportunities out there for veterans that we are unaware of, and it's impossible for our platoon sergeant and our commanding officers to make us aware of every single opportunity. Which Wesley at the Downtown Veterans Resource Center plays a great role in shedding light on those opportunities and advantages that many student vets don't know that's out there. The Veterans Office expanded my mindset. We were able to discuss things that were not only military related, but how the military affects mental health, how to cope with problems that are not discussed with on a daily basis that are often brushed off. One of the major misconceptions is that when you are in the Army, when you are a soldier, you are always strong. You are a superhuman, and that's not always the case. Even though we are strong, the Veterans Resource Center allowed you, it gave you a safe space to be vulnerable, which is not always possible to do when you're around your battle buddies or your sergeants and things like that. The greatest factor that the Technical College has showed me is that how to turn lemons into lemonade. So everything may not go as planned, but you have to roll with the punches and grow from that. And all of that is a growing experience, and it's not to hinder you or hurt you, it's so that you can prosper and grow and learn from it in the future.