Soldier for Life: Ranger veterans cultivate network at Columbia University

By Maj. Tony MayneJuly 10, 2017

With only a year remaining before his graduation from Columbia University, 75th Ranger Regiment veteran Myles Grantham reported that transitioning Rangers continue gain admissions to top-tier University's across the country.

Ranger veterans Mike Nolin and Levi Schmitt recently learned that they will join more than 40 Ranger veterans at Columbia University's undergraduate program. The duo will prepare for their transition to the academic rigors of the Ivy League through participation in the prestigious Warrior-Scholar Project. Nolin, who is a Purple Heart Recipient, will attend a Warrior-Scholar Project course hosted by Texas A&M while Schmitt will attend the project's course at University of Michigan in the fall.

Upon completing the WSP course and enrolling at Columbia, Nolin says he hopes to join either the Columbia golf team or football team. Meanwhile, Schmitt says he is eager to gain access to the Columbia engineering department's MakerSpace and become more familiar with the technology of 3D printing. He is also looking forward to joining the Columbia Against Modern Slavery Club so he can coordinate the group's efforts with those of the HERO Corps program to combat human trafficking on a wider scale.

As an ambassador for the Army Ranger Lead The Fund's Collegiate Access Program, Grantham has assisted the LTWF with an expansion of its service offering to include transition assistance for Rangers seeking guidance on enrollment to attend the nation's top universities.

"This is a great result for our guys. We're always excited to help Rangers seek out new opportunities," Grantham said. "Being a part of Army Ranger Lead The Way Fund is my way to give back to the next generation of Ranger veterans."

Schmitt and Nolin note the Ranger mentor approach of the LTWF as being key to their acceptance to Columbia, from providing resources to encouraging and assisting with the application and preparation for enrollment, the Collegiate Access Program is rapidly becoming the cornerstone of the LTWF's transition program.

As an inaugural award winner of the USSOCOM Warrior Care Program's Patriot Award for service to the special operations community, LTWF founder and Gold Star father, James P. Regan noted the importance of Rangers veterans taking an active role in the transition of transitioning Rangers.

"The military service organizations can only do so much," Regan said. "What we have found is that when you partner with quality organizations committed to a common cause, and on-board Ranger veteran leaders like Myles onto your team, you can really reach down to the active duty Rangers by providing them a mentor that says 'I walked in your boots, you can do this.'"

WSP empowers enlisted military veterans by providing them with a skill bridge that enables a successful transition from the battlefield to the classroom and increases the confidence they will need to successfully complete a rigorous four-year undergraduate program at a top-tier school.

***This article is not an official endorsement by the Department of Defense or 75th Ranger Regiment of the Army Ranger Lead The Way Fund or any other non-federal entities included herein.