Nathan Needham — From the Air Force to Amherst!
This is the fifth 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: Sequim, Washington
Fun Fact About Yourself: I’ve racked up over 300 flight hours while flying for the Air Force despite a fear of heights and falling.
Intended Major: I’m majoring in Spanish but have also explored Economics and Mathematics at Amherst because of its flexible curriculum!
What did you do in the military? I served in the Air Force as a Spanish/Portuguese translator but held three different jobs within special operations — translator, intelligence liaison between AFSOC and the rest of the IC, and an aircrew member integrated with the aircrews of the CV22, AC130 and MC130 platforms.
What was your proudest accomplishment in the Air Force? Definitely the time that I flew to South America for the first time and had to use Spanish in a mission context. I remember stepping off the plane and being awestruck by the lush greenery and the mountains and contemplating how far I’d come from the slack-jawed yokel that I was. The pilot was trying to communicate with the ground crew but because of the language barrier was unsuccessful. He stared at me with the expectation that I would translate and all of a sudden, I just started translating English into Spanish without even thinking about it! In that one moment, I recognized that all of my training at DLI and Hurlburt Field had paid off.
Why did you decide to pursue college? I had a fantastic job in the military that provided me with ample educational opportunities. I went to Middlebury College for two summers to study language, which opened up the possibility that I could go to study at a top-tier college. Once I got down to Florida, I found myself frustrated with the career progression in the military and felt boxed in. At the same time, my best friend applied and was accepted to the Yale Eli Whitney Scholar Program. From that point forward, I made it my mission to be accepted to a top-tier school.
How has the transition been from the military to the classroom? I didn’t find quite as bad as I think many veterans do. While in the military, I was always taking classes whether at DLI, Middlebury or community college in Florida. That being said, I have been extremely impressed with the level of academic rigor at Amherst. I’ve attended seven different colleges, which makes gathering transcripts quite the exercise in persistence, but am always by amazed the student culture at Amherst that demands excellence and top-notch work.
What led you to choose Amherst? After studying at Middlebury and DLI, I got used to the small, close-knit classroom and easy interaction with professors. After Middlebury, I knew that I wanted to study at a Liberal Arts college where I could nurture learning across many disciplines. I applied to many different schools but Amherst stood out because of my campus visit. I drove up to campus on a Saturday while it was closed for the chance to walk around. At the center of campus, Amherst has a fantastic memorial honoring veterans and the fallen of WWI and WWII. The memorial is at the end of the main quad and overlooks the athletic fields and the Seven Sisters Mountains. As I stood there, I got goose bumps about how historically supportive the college is of veterans and those who have fallen. As I walked the remainder of the campus, I kept seeing different chalk outlines with messages to keep following them. I did and learned that the Amherst Military Association had hosted a 5k and fun day to build up support and rapport for military community the day before. I immediately knew that Amherst College was for me.
What’s your favorite part about Amherst? For me, it’s been the extracurricular activities. I was thinking about pursuing an MBA after Amherst and the career information center hosted a presentation about it. Because of that presentation, I was able to attend the Summer Institute of General Management at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. T Beyond that, I think that the opportunities available to students at a smaller college are incredible. I can go on for hours about that all the extracurricular activities that I’ve done that have made my Amherst College experience so amazing.
What advice would you give to future applicants? AIM HIGHER! I saw that my best friend was able to get into Yale EWSP and despite my Jekyll and Hyde transcripts, I knew there were possibilities for veterans like myself. Don’t deny yourself admission — let the school say no! Try to reach out to veterans who are already on campus and figure out what they like and dislike on campus. They will give you a better feel for whether or not the institution you are looking at matches your goals and personality because its going to be anywhere from 1–4 years of your life. Sign up for Service to School!
What would you like your peers at Amherst to say about you after you graduate? I hope that my peers say that I was a community organizer and team builder. I’m currently working on programs to ensure that the diverse groups on campus that we’ve assembled cross-pollinate and share ideas across campus. I’m trying to bridge these gaps through entrepreneurship programs.
What are you goals post-graduation? I’m undecided at this point but am looking at three areas, (1) management consulting, (2) Returning to DoD or applying to become a Foreign Service Officer and (3) Entrepreneurship. I may also pursue an MBA.
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Amherst College is a private liberal arts college university in Amherst, MA. It is consistently ranked one of the best colleges in the world. For more information, please visit www.amherst.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, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Notre Dame, Princeton University, Smith College, 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.
