From Marine Corps to Master’s Degree: A UNCW graduate’s journey

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — On Saturday, hundreds of Seahawks took the next step in their academic journeys at the University of North Carolina Wilmington’s December graduation ceremonies. Among them was Gualberto Martinez, whose path to graduation was far from traditional.

After high school, Martinez enlisted in the Marine Corps, expecting a quick four-year commitment. However, what he thought would be a short stint turned into a 25-year career, delaying his return to school. But Martinez never gave up on his goal to earn a degree.

“I retired from the Marine Corps as a master sergeant, and I took a year off after retirement to kind of see how civilian life was. And I got bored, so I was like, ‘Hey, let’s go back to school,’” Martinez said.

Using his military benefits, he completed his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. But that’s not the end of his journey. Martinez is already planning his next steps.

“I’ll be doing tax accounting. So after that, it’s going to be from January to April, and I’ll take the summer off before starting my master’s program,” he shared.

Although he had been away from the classroom for many years, Martinez found the transition to campus life surprisingly smooth. His life experience gave him a different perspective, especially when connecting with fellow students.

“In the Marine Corps, I had all these Marines working under me, so it just felt like I could teach the kids something. And it wound up being that we ended up learning from each other,” he said.

Graduation day was a special occasion for Martinez and his family. His daughter, who also graduated from UNCW, was there to celebrate with him. His mother was also in attendance, and for a very personal reason.

“My mom’s here, and she’s pretty proud. I’m the first college graduate out of her nine kids,” Martinez said.

Looking back on his journey, Martinez is grateful for those who helped him along the way, including the Office of Military Affairs and the Cameron School of Business. He credits them with making his transition from military life back to school a smooth and successful one.