SVA Scholars: Daniel Travis’ Story
How the Google SVA Scholarship Changed My College Experience
School, for me, was a huge shift in culture. I had only been out of the Army for around 3 months and there was not really a place to go back to and recover, so the only path was forward. This, of course, does not alleviate the anxiety that can come from trying to do a 180-degree turn in lifestyle, thought process, and interacting with people.
Additionally, there was a great unknown about what other people were trying to do. Were they also having trouble getting used to a new place? Did they care? Would I even be able to strike up a conversation? All of this created a constant whirlwind of worry and doubt. After a month had passed, however, I received a notification I had been selected for the Google SVA Scholarship, and I would be traveling to California for a few days.
This was where my life started to turn around. It was a fantastic experience where I met many driven, devoted people who all want to help people and the world. Meeting so many fantastic people allowed me to be washed of the worry.
I entered my university with a renewed focus and knowledge that my choice was a good one. Because of the help I received from my scholarship, I have been able to donate countless hours to volunteering and helping veterans in my community.
With the help of a few more veterans, we established a veteran-focused fraternity on campus. We constantly are getting veterans out in the community, meeting more people, doing philanthropy, and just generally enjoying college now, but it all started with a little help and the chance to meet some great people.
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