James Drabble — From Navy Nuke to Physics at MIT!
This is one part in a series of veteran profiles spotlighting Service to School (S2S) and our VetLink program, which connects veterans with highly selective colleges and universities.
Hometown: Flemington, NJ
Intended Major: Physics
What did you do in the military? Navy Nuclear Propulsion Program — Engineering Laboratory Technician:
The Navy Nuclear Propulsion program is the community of officers and enlisted men and women who undergo special training to maintain and operate the nuclear reactors that power our aircraft carriers and submarines.
After my initial training of about 2 years, I spent the next 4 years stationed on board the USS Greeneville (SSN-772), a fast-attack 688i-class submarine homeported in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. During my time on board I completed two Western Pacific Deployments, an Eastern Pacific Deployment, four Operational Reactor Safeguards Examinations (ORSE), and 6 a month stint in the shipyards.
What was your proudest accomplishment in the military? Qualifying as Leading ELT, and serving as underway ELT for entire deployment.
The Leading ELT is the senior in rate qualification for ELTs. It is a supervisory role that is responsible for the shipboard chemistry plans and the rest of the division. The underway ELT is the crew member responsible for all chemistry analysis and radiological surveys while the ship is underway.
How did you hear about S2S? There was a reference to the VetLink Addendum on the Cornell Application.
What was the best part of S2S for you? Working directly with my ambassador, Kayla Barron, to improve my application essays.
Why did you decide to pursue college? To reach my fullest potential and become a scientist.
How has the transition been from the military to civilian life? It’s been pretty smooth. You just have to accept that you’re going to be older than most of your peers, but it’s not like those years were wasted.
What’s your favorite part about MIT? I’ll start this Fall, so I don’t have any first-hand experience yet. I am excited to take classes with experts in their field and study alongside an extremely motivated and creative student body.
What advice would you give to future applicants? Don’t be afraid to reach out and apply to top-tier schools. But, make sure you plan ahead. Often those schools will have increased entry requirements. You might need to schedule an extra SAT subject exam, or take an additional college course as a prerequisite. Leaving this until the last minute is never a good idea.
What are you goals post-graduation? After I get a Bachelors degree, I intend to apply to graduate schools and get a PhD in physics.
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), established in 1861, is a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is consistently cited as one of the world’s most prestigious universities. For more information, please visit www.mit.edu.
Service to School is a 501(3) non-profit committed to helping our nation’s veterans earn admission to highly selective colleges and universities. Our mission is to help every transitioning military veteran win admission to the best college or graduate school possible.
In 2015, Service to School launched VetLink, an initiative within our larger mentoring program, which partners our organization with some of the best colleges and universities in the U.S. including Amherst College, Cornell University, Emory University, Harvard College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Notre Dame, Pomona College, Princeton University, Smith College, Stanford University, Williams College, and Yale University.
Are you a transitioning veteran thinking about applying to college to earn your undergraduate or bachelor’s degree? Sign up for help from Service to School.
