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42 G.I. JOBS | OCTOBER 2016 | GIJOBS.COM to land an awesome internship opportunity with Adaptive Athletics. What advice would you give to other students to help them adjust to campus culture? Castro: Adjusting to campus culture can be difficult, and for some it can be scary because it really forces us to get out of a certain comfort zone that we have built around us. I highly encourage veterans to get involved in student organizations on campus. Not only are they part of something they have interest in, they are already bridging the gap between the community of those who didn't serve and those who served in the military. If you could redo your transiঞon to school, what would you do differently? Castro: I don't think there is much I would change about my transition into school. I've been very lucky with my transition, and I really owe it to the Veteran Services office. The staff has walked me through every process in school. The one thing I would change if I could would be my interest in getting involved on campus sooner. Are there any blunders you would urge service members transiঞoning to a post-military educaঞon to avoid? Castro: I would recommend they take a lot of interest in being proactive with their transition. Working in the Veteran Services office at the University of Houston, I see a lot of veterans not get accepted because of doing things too late. When veterans call the office for information, I always highly encourage them to get their application and needed documents turned in as soon as possible. Would you recommend your school to other military and veteran students? Castro: I would definitely recommend the University of Houston to veterans who are getting out and looking to go back to school. The University of Houston does a lot for its veteran community on campus. We have over 2,000 veterans who are eligible for multiple resources offered on campus. We have a fantastic Veteran Services director who really cares about the veterans. We have career fairs, resource fairs, luncheons and many more networking opportunities that she puts together. We also have a Student Veterans of America chapter that encourages us to get together and make an impact in the community. Which military achievement are you most proud of? Castro: I'd like to believe that I did a lot while I was in the military, but I think that my biggest accomplishment in the military was completing the corporal's course. I also took classes while in, and I would volunteer around the community (I got to volunteer for the Marine Corps Marathon in Afghanistan). What did you do to prepare for leaving the military? Castro: There is a lot that goes into preparing to get out of the military. I think one thing that really helped me to prepare properly was SEPS/ TAPS that the military offers for those exiting the service. Establishing a plan will really help you succeed when you get out. Know where you want to move to, know what your budget will be, what school you want to go to, what benefit you're going to use. There is a lot, but having a checklist can make it an easier and smoother process. STUDENT VETERAN Michelle N. Castro Degree: Bachelor of Science in kinesiology Graduation: Expected, Spring 2017 University of Houston Age: 25 Military Branch: Marine Corps (2010-2014) Highest Rank: Corporal (E-4) MOS: Field Radio Operator (0621)