Anna King was serving in Iraq when a mortar hit her base, critically injuring her and eventually forcing her to return home. She's now a graduate student in the Department of Social Work and hopes to someday help soldiers returning from combat.
Bradley Lilly comes from a family of military servicemen and also felt called to serve his country. He enlisted in the Air Force and soon was deployed to Afghanistan and Qatar. He's now a history major at UTSA.
Tessa Marsh had been in the Army only seven months before she was deployed to Iraq. To her, military service means honor for self, family and nation. And Marsh, now a criminal justice major at UTSA, doesn't think there's anything better than that.
William Dawson served 21 years in the Army, retiring as a senior chief warrant officer. Before joining the military, he promised his mother he'd someday earn a degree. He got his bachelor's in political science and is now pursuing a master's degree in public administration. He is a full-time federal employee and is president of UTSA's Student Veterans Association.
Written and produced by Dave Deering
Videography by Dave Deering and Omar Hernandez