对于两名美国退伍军人来说，多年来为保卫我们的国家而服务，造就了他们通往大学的道路漫长而艰辛。 However, with the help of campus and government resources, and guidance from Queens staff, students Rick Wright ‘29 and Lou Luangxay ‘26 have proved that it’s never too late to pursue a lifelong dream. 他们代表了越来越多的退伍军人，经过多年的牺牲，他们正在抓住机会专注于个人和职业发展。

里克·赖特，29岁，创意写作专业

虽然大多数学生在高中毕业后立即进入学院或大学，但里克·赖特却没有。 相反，他加入了美国海军陆战队，从1988年到2003年在现役和预备役服役，获得了中士军衔。

在9/11恐怖袭击之后，赖特被铺天盖地的征召入伍，他努力争取重新入伍。 Thanks to his specialized skill as a static line jump master, he was back in the Marines for Operation Iraqi Freedom, going “from the couch to the desert” to answer the nation’s need.

在他的军队生活中，赖特在书中找到了慰藉和冒险，用阅读来逃避步兵生活的残酷现实。 他很少不写小说，即使是在服役期间。 赖特回忆说，他的海军陆战队战友会取笑他。 “I would have these big ole Tom Clancy novels in my backpack wrapped up in sandwich bags so that it wouldn’t get wet from the rain,” said Wright. “I’d read by candlelight or with a flashlight.”

在校园里，作为第一代学生的赖特正在应对一项具有挑战性的课程负担，他要平衡美国文学、作文和修辞学等课程。 从和比他小得多的同学坐在一起，到加入诗歌俱乐部，他觉得整个经历都很有意义。

“Being a student at Queens has made me feel young again,” Wright shared. He is impressed by the intellectual curiosity of his classmates, admitting, “I can’t believe how smart these students are today. I think about how I was when I was 18, 19 – it’s night and day. The difference is amazing.”

Wright finds completing his writing assignments to be cathartic, a way for everything in his head to “suddenly become words on the screen.” 同时兼顾学业和当前工作是一项挑战，但在教授们的支持下，他决心完成晚年开始的旅程。

Through it all, Wright’s biggest fan is his wife. “My wife is my biggest supporter,” he says of his spouse, who will celebrate their 30th anniversary soon. While some family members “think I’m crazy,” his wife is “all for it,” fully backing his pursuit of the degree he waited a lifetime to chase.

娄銮赛，26岁，体育管理专业

娄銮赛（Lou Luangxay）对服务有着深深的承诺，这是他父亲灌输给他的价值观，他父亲是一名军人，曾为祖国老挝服务。 Luangxay出生在国外，他和他的家人作为难民来到美国。 Luangxay’s motivation for enlisting in the armed forces in 2007 was deeply rooted in his family’s immigrant experience and a sense of duty to his adopted country.

“It was always something that intrigued my brother and I, so we both did Junior ROTC when we were in high school,” he said. “It felt like we were paying back the country that adopted us.”

銮塞的航空物流提供了宝贵的、可翻译的技能。 他被派遣过两次，特别是在第一个对海地地震做出反应的部队，在那里他提供了人道主义救援。 他所在的部队还曾在亚丁湾与索马里海盗作战，并被部署到阿富汗。他自豪地指出，他所在的部队在那里为反恐努力做出了积极贡献，实现了关键目标。

Luangxay目前是一名企业家，拥有一家小型家庭服务公司，并积极致力于创办一所青少年足球学院。 At the recommendation of an academic advisor with the U.S. Department of 退伍军人 Affairs, Luangxay decided to pursue a degree in sport management to support his academy’s venture, leading him to Queens for its small college environment.

他最大的啦啦队是他的妻子和女儿，他们让他重返学校成为一个共同的家庭经历。 “My wife is so supportive – she’s the rock in the family,” said Luangxay. “And my nine-year-old daughter can relate to my experience as a student. It’s a blessing that we get to talk about school and how we can study for tests together.”

退伍军人休息室：正规博彩平台一个叫家的地方

如果没有正规博彩平台的工作人员、校友和资深校友Darryl White的支持，赖特和Luangxay向校园生活的过渡不会那么容易，Darryl White是92年、21年的学生生活助理院长。 作为正规博彩平台官方学生退伍军人协会QU4Troops的顾问，怀特和他的团队提供同伴指导，举办社会和教育活动，并与当地非营利组织合作，以延续服务精神。

White also maintains the Veteran’s Lounge, a space made possible through a grant from The Home Depot Foundation in coordination with 美国学生退伍军人协会 (SVA), where veterans across campus can study, connect, and relax.

“I want to make sure our student veterans feel comfortable coming here, that they understand the process,” said White. “For someone who, like me, never even dreamed of college, having a fellow veteran to guide them through that transition is absolutely invaluable.”

工作人员和退伍军人休息室等空间促进了共享体验，为正规博彩平台的退伍军人学生培养了一种友爱的感觉。 对于Wright和Luangxay来说，这种支持验证了他们追求高等教育的决定，将一个令人生畏的转变变成了一个有目的的使命。

他们的个人旅程，一个是对文学的热情，另一个是创业的愿景，他们在制服期间锻造的韧性和奉献精神将他们联系在一起。 他们向其他考虑重返校园的退伍军人和老年人传达的信息是一种赋权。 “Don’t think twice about getting your education – just do it!” said Wright.