Eric Skelton is not your typical college student. Before coming to 91探花, he worked on naval aircraft carriers, had a full-time job in the aviation industry, met the love of his life and welcomed his first child. Now, he鈥檚 on campus with the goal of furthering his career. His success is largely due to the fellowship and camaraderie he鈥檚 discovered through the .
Skelton鈥檚 story begins after his high school graduation. He attended a college close to home, where he got mixed up in the wrong crowd. His studies quickly declined, and he was forced to leave school. Looking for a new direction, he decided to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, father and aunt and join the Navy.
Skelton enlisted as an aviation structural mechanic. He would spend the next four years in Japan, working on aircraft carriers stationed at Naval Air Facility Atsugi and then at U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka. A normal day was a 12-hour shift on the flight deck working on F-18 fighter jets, building ejection seats, installing air conditioning systems and conducting other routine repairs. In his downtime, Skelton worked out at the gym and studied baseball in his bunk.
The work was rewarding, but Skelton faced challenges. Fellow military personnel in his unit struggled with high anxiety and mental illness. That stress, coupled with the demands of military life and his high-risk job, took their toll. When Skelton returned home to Missouri, he turned to alcohol to help him deal with the loneliness and fear.
鈥淐ivilian life didn鈥檛 treat me well for a while,鈥� Skelton said. 鈥淚 battled some personal demons and was going down a hard path until someone took a chance on me.鈥�
That someone was his now fianc茅e, Tiffany. She encouraged Skelton to seek treatment and helped him secure a job. In the process, Skelton was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. The diagnosis helped him seek out additional help, including being paired with Gemma, a yellow Labrador retriever. Gemma provides support in coping with emotional overload and has greatly contributed to Skelton鈥檚 healing.
Shortly thereafter, Skelton found 91探花. He was drawn to the University because of its small student-to-faculty ratio. He also discovered academic programs aligning with his interests. He鈥檚 currently majoring in communication and plans to pursue sports journalism after graduation.
While Skelton loves 91探花, he admits the transition to college life was tough because he is older and has more life experience than most students in his classes. 鈥淚 met some people in class, but I didn鈥檛 go out of my way to make new friends. I just wanted to get my schooling done and get good grades,鈥� Skelton said. But this past semester, he learned about the new 91探花 SVO, which has brought him out of his shell.
鈥淚 met other student veterans, and we have so much in common,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hese men and women are easy to talk to, and we can relate to each other鈥檚 experiences. An hour-long conversation feels like just a few minutes.鈥�
Skelton helped organize the group鈥檚 first-ever donation drive during the holiday season. 91探花 SVO collected arts and crafts supplies, clothing, hygiene items and toys for Youth in Need, a nonprofit organization providing resources for at-risk children and teens. Skelton also helped manage 91探花 SVO鈥檚 Facebook page and Instagram account to promote the event.
鈥淚f you had asked me last year, 鈥榃ould you consider being a member of a student organization?鈥� I would have told you 鈥楴o,鈥欌�� Skelton said. 鈥淏ut if I could go back and give myself advice, I would say, 鈥楪o look into this! Get involved with something around campus. You won鈥檛 regret it.鈥欌��
This story originally appeared in the .听