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Good afternoon,
JUSTIN JACOBSON
Thank you all for showing your support of me and the Veterans Education Program.
My name is Justin Jacobson. I served in the Marine Corps and ended my service as a Sergeant in the in- fantry. I then went to work as a structural welder. It was soon thereafter that I realized I wanted to pursue something that meant more to me, so I moved back home to Oakdale California. I started up a short-lived beef cattle business which ended abruptly. I found myself sitting in the cab of a tractor for 12- 14 hours a day, just aimlessly drifting, questioning the life decisions I had made.
A few years back, on my first deployment, I made friends with an awesome man named Steve Borrego from El Paso, Texas. Many times, we would sit together, usually on a Navy ship, and plan our lives for when we got out of the Marines. We decided that if all else failed, we could use our GI Bill to go to college. I didn’t tell him that I might not be able to do that. Privately, I knew I did not meet the criteria for admission. I didn’t even know where to begin.
So I looked to my brother, who was attending Fresno State, and with his help, I contacted the university and found the Veterans Education Program, which saved me from aimless wandering through admission rules and bureaucratic offices.
This program opened my eyes to the world of opportunity, and I chased these opportunities to where I am today. I’m a Fire Academy Instructor. I am a volunteer firefighter/EMT, and a full-time student with straight A’s. I also revamped my beef cattle business and it’s been successful for the past year and a half. And, most importantly, I’ll be here in Fresno for the rest of my Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science.
I’ll share with you that this road was not always easy. This Veterans in Education Program, most of all, helped me transition. As veterans, we often times carry things upon our shoulders and bring people with us everywhere we go. This adds to an already stressful environment, as we don’t want to let down the people we carry with us. We have been conditioned to believe the false narrative that any failure results in catastrophic consequences.
This aspect was particularly hard for me. I lost Steve Borrego when he suffered a fatal fall in 2021. And Just 3 weeks ago, I lost another great Marine named Trenton Jennings, from Sacramento, to suicide.
Every day we lose 22 veterans. 7,000 troops died in the Post 9/11 wars while 114,000 veterans have died from suicide. That’s over 16 times the number of deaths of both Iraq and Afghanistan. This is the war being fought here at home, inside each of us.
This program gave me direction when I needed it most. I often sit and wonder, that if Steve knew when his time was up, would he have worked a little harder, loved a little deeper, and given a little more? If Trenton had found this program and been immersed in this family and given a new sense of purpose and direction; would he have gone the same route? I don’t have the answers to these questions but with the support you all give, I know one thing. You all are saving veterans lives, whether you know it or not.
To the class, remember one thing “anyone with a Why can withstand any How” I’m proud of you all. Thank you,
Justin Jacobson
ACCESS - The Division of Continuing and Global Education 21