I am a Tiger.

I graduated from the University of Memphis in 2008, and I remain grateful for the education I received there. What's funny is that my college experience was probably a little different than most.

I Was Already in a Fraternity

Many college students arrive on campus looking for a community. Some join fraternities. Some join sororities. Some join clubs and organizations.

I didn't join a fraternity. I was already a member of one. The United States Marine Corps.

As a Marine Corps Reservist assigned to a unit based in Memphis, many of the Marines I served with were also students at the University of Memphis. Not one or two. Quite a few. I don't know the exact number, though it felt like a significant portion of the unit.

I had deployed to Iraq with some of these men. Then I'd find myself sitting next to them in college classrooms.

Looking back, that's one of the things I appreciated most. I didn't have to choose between being a Marine and being a student. I got to be both.

The Other Side of the Desk

While attending the University of Memphis, I also spent six months on active duty as a Marine Corps Recruiter's Aide. The interesting part was that I was assigned to the same Recruiting Office that had recruited me into the Marine Corps back in 2002.

Life has a sense of humor sometimes.

A few years earlier, I had walked through that door asking questions about becoming a Marine. Now I was supporting and assisting prospective Marines who were considering the same path. That was a unique experience. It also gave me a different perspective. For the first time, I was standing on the other side of the desk.

Busy Years

The University of Memphis years were busy years.

• —I was attending classes.
• —I was serving as a Marine Corps Reservist.
• —I had already deployed to Iraq.
• —I was working.
• —I was building toward the future.

At the time, I didn't think much about it. I was simply working toward the next objective. Looking back, I realize how much was happening all at once.

The Year 2008

The year 2008 stands out in particular.

One chapter was ending. Several new chapters were beginning. College was complete. My initial military obligation was complete. Entrepreneurship was beginning. Fatherhood was approaching.

At the time, I wasn't sitting around thinking about life transitions. I was simply focused on the next mission. Looking back now, I can appreciate how significant that season of life really was.

What Each Road Gave Me

• —The University of Memphis gave me an education.
• —The Marine Corps gave me leadership, discipline, and lifelong friendships.
• —Entrepreneurship gave me a new mission.
• —Fatherhood gave me a new purpose.

Somehow all of those roads seemed to converge around the same time.

When people talk about college, they often focus on football games, parties, and campus memories. I remember those years a little differently. I remember classes with fellow Marines. I remember drill weekends. I remember active-duty orders. I remember building toward a future. And I remember a year where I graduated college, completed my initial Marine Corps commitment, launched a company, and prepared to become a father.

Looking back, I'd say the University of Memphis experience worked out pretty well.

• —I graduated as a Tiger.
• —I remained a Marine.
• —I became an entrepreneur.
• —And I started building the life that would eventually lead to where I am today.