After 11 Years of Service, This Marine Has His Sights Set on a Bachelor鈥檚 Degree
After joining the Marine Corps immediately after high school, Chad Allen served for 11 years. Although he wasn鈥檛 exactly sure what profession he wanted to pursue post service, he had a clear understanding that 鈥攚hatever he decided鈥� a bachelor鈥檚 degree would be essential. Chad started on his journey to a degree by attending a small local college for a couple years, taking night classes and working full-time during the day.
A career opportunity came along to start a business with two established businessmen. Veteran Opportunity Partners LLC (VOP) was created in 2017 as a strategic partner to JDog Junk Removal and Hauling (JDog), the nation鈥檚 leading U.S. Military Franchise Brand. The two companies had the shared objective of providing robust career opportunities to Military Veterans and their families. 鈥淰OP allowed me to hone my construction industry specific hard skills while at the same time developing soft skills required to successfully lead a team in the civilian business world 鈥� hiring, onboarding, mentoring, compensation strategies, customer relations, and more.鈥�
The experience also allowed him to immerse himself in the veteran community in Philadelphia. Through VOP, Chad had the opportunity to visit many universities, get to know how they work, and create relationships with campus staff. Chad says, 鈥淚 learned the value of a reputable school. I would have never dreamed that attending Villanova was an option for me and I鈥檓 proud to be a Villanova student in the College of Professional Studies. There is a level of prestige that comes with obtaining a degree from Villanova that is analogous to serving in the United States Marine Corps.鈥�
Chad is already excited to for what the next chapter may hold, saying 鈥淚鈥檓 confident that my experience in the Marines coupled with a degree from Villanova will present numerous career opportunities. I feel like I鈥檓 part of a community, I have excellent support from the faculty and staff, and I know I鈥檓 receiving a first class education from a top university. It doesn鈥檛 get any better than that.鈥�
To learn more about Villanova鈥檚 degree, certificate and professional education programs, please visit our veterans webpage and explore program offerings.
Pursue the next you at Villanova鈥檚 College of Professional Studies.