By Thomas J, Hynds, Sr

Transitioning from military life to civilian life can be difficult. The transition from military life to college life can be even more challenging.

People who have served have experiences that are unique to their time in the military. I needed a “re-entry” mode to help me get positioned for my life as a civilian and a student.

When I was separated from active duty in 1969, I knew I wanted to go to college and the GI Bill allowed me to go to school without financial hardship.

I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do but I knew I needed to attend a school that cared for it’s students and helped them through their studies.

I had fished and hunted, camped and hiked growing up so I knew the solitude of the outdoors was a place I could feel at ease and start my new life.

As soon as I saw PSC I knew I found my home. I started my first semester in the summer of 1969. I soon learned that not only was the school where I needed to be, I discovered also how the professors all cared about each student and helped us much more than my civilian friends at large universities and colleges were helped.

At that time there was a “Veterans Club” on campus which was very active and allowed us to interact with fellow vets and help them (or they help us) in our studies and navigation into being a civilian.

I graduated PSC in the summer of 1971 and, while I never continued my studies in Forestry, the two years I spent at PSC were the building blocks for my educational career and my subsequent 41 years in the pharmaceutical research industry.

PSC gave me the start and I did the rest. I will always love my time at PSC, contribute to the school, encourage other students to attend PSC and return as often as I can. It was, and still is, just what I needed at the time .