For the record, Joe Miloshevsky ’15, really “despised”—his word—high school. So much so that he decided joining the Army to learn how to be a diesel mechanic would be his best choice for the future.

But it was during those six years and eight months spent as a diesel mechanic in the Army, based mainly in Germany but also through several deployments in Iraq, when the New Jersey native realized he wanted something more. When he returned to the States, he sought a college education, and through a series of events, he matriculated at Washington College as a sophomore.

“Washington College had a major in what I thought I wanted to do, which was a dual degree in engineering and physics,” Miloshevsky says. He enrolled in that major, then shifted to computer science with a minor in math as his focus changed. His transition back into the academic world was eased by attending Chesapeake College for a year, where he got most of his basic classes out of the way and regained an appreciation for school.

But he also says that Washington College has been extremely supportive as an institution as he has made his way here. “What I love about this school is the small class sizes. My computer science course I think we have seven students. It’s lovely because it’s so easy to communicate with the teacher.”

As a 29-year-old, he says it can be a little awkward in classes with students ten years younger. He’s working with other student veterans to develop a club on campus for veterans, so that they could study together, share experiences, and support one another.

“Quite frankly, we’re vets—we’re designed to have camaraderie, and I think it would help us along a great deal to have a group,” he says.