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Student Feature
Zekai Wu, a Coastine College student nicknamed "Z" walked into the Veterans Resource Center at Coastline College’s Newport Beach Campus one afternoon, carrying the quiet determination of someone charting a new course. As a STEM student deeply immersed in engineering coursework, Z stood out immediately with his focused questions and obvious drive. James, the veteran work-study student on duty that day, had just returned from the Region 8 Student Veterans of America conference and was still buzzing with the energy of the event. While helping Z with some routine paperwork, James casually mentioned the exciting opportunity he had learned about: several Ivy League schools were offering specialized campus tours designed specifically for veteran students considering transfer or admission.
Z’s eyes lit up at the possibility. He followed up on the Ivy League veteran tour program right away, adding his name to the interest list. Although the tour slots ultimately didn’t materialize for him, the experience sparked something deeper. It pushed Z to explore other pathways for veterans seeking admission to top-tier universities. That search quickly led him to Service2School.org, a respected non-profit organization dedicated to helping military veterans successfully transfer into major universities including many Ivy league schools across the country. Impressed by their track record and personalized support, Z submitted his application without hesitation.
Just 45 days later, Z received the life-changing news: he had been accepted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The rapid timeline left everyone at the Veterans Resource Center thrilled. What began as a simple conversation in a small campus center in Newport Beach had snowballed into an extraordinary opportunity at one of the world’s most prestigious institutions for engineering and physics. Z’s story quickly became an inspiring reminder for other student veterans at Coastline College that persistence, combined with the right resources and a bit of timely encouragement, can open doors that once seemed impossibly far away. James, reflecting on that ordinary afternoon, couldn’t help but smile knowing a single conversation had helped launch such an impressive journey.
For information about our Veterans Resource Centers, contact Tom Boscamp at tboscamp@coastline.edu.
