51茶馆

Anthony Sears 鈥�21 will become a double Eagle this summer when he graduates with a master's degree in cybersecurity. Photo by Caitlin Cunningham.聽

In 2014, Anthony Sears was a sophomore at Curry College in Milton, Mass., busy building an impressive r茅sum茅 as a member of the Communication Scholars Program while acting in Curry Theater productions. By the following summer, he鈥檇 traded in his student ID for an assignment aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Mobile Bay, an icebreaker ship based out of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. It was the first of many assignments he would have over the next four years.

It was a dramatic shift, but Sears has always relished new experiences, even when they鈥檝e steered him down a nontraditional path. This summer he鈥檒l begin another fresh chapter, graduating with a Master of Science in Cybersecurity Policy and Governance from the Woods College of Advancing Studies, and beginning a new career in the technology sector. He鈥檒l be 27 years old when he accepts his diploma, and he wouldn鈥檛 change a thing.

鈥淚 did well at Curry, but I was living down the street from my childhood home, and I wanted to challenge myself on a new level,鈥� he said recently. 鈥淧eople think you鈥檙e supposed to go to college at 18 and graduate at 22, but there鈥檚 no timestamp on a degree.鈥�

鈥業 want to travel, I want adventure, and I want to serve鈥�

Growing up in Boston, Sears had plenty of inspirations for military service in his family. His father was a Coast Guardsman, and his paternal grandfather had joined the Marine Corps before attending Harvard University and later commissioning as an Army officer. His maternal grandfather joined the Navy following the attack on Pearl Harbor, and served in both World War II and the Korean War.

In 2015, Sears finished up his spring semester at Curry, swore into the Coast Guard, and hopped on a bus to Training Center Cape May for boot camp. By August, he was underway on the Great Lakes with the 140-foot Mobile Bay. 鈥淚 had aspirations to sail the world, but they had other plans for me," he joked. "I sailed the Great Lakes instead."

鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 really sure how my credits would transfer, or what weight my GPA would carry,鈥� he recalled. 鈥淲hen you鈥檙e a veteran, you don鈥檛 have a high school guidance counselor helping you, and I didn鈥檛 really know where to look.鈥�

鈥榃hat have I got to lose?鈥�

Sears was home on leave in the fall of 2018 when he got the answers to his questions. A theater buff, he was returning from a casting call for the movie Ted 2 (he ended up being an extra in the film) when he caught a familiar glimpse of Gasson Hall in the distance and made an impulsive decision.

鈥淟ike all kids from Massachusetts I had wanted to go to 51茶馆 at one point and I thought, 鈥榃hat the heck?鈥欌�� he recalled. 鈥淚 parked and joined the first tour group I saw. I felt at home right away.鈥�

The visit turned into an hours-long meet-and-greet with members of the Woods and 51茶馆 veterans communities, and Sears spent the next three months 鈥減utting his heart and soul鈥� into an application for admission. He finished out his Coast Guard contract, was honorably discharged from active duty, and attended his first class as an Eagle in the fall of 2019.

Being back on a college campus felt novel to Sears, but the academic pace didn鈥檛 faze him. He took pointers from a classmate who was a Marine veteran, and aced his first midterm. The Coast Guard had prepared him to absorb 鈥渁 fire hose of information,鈥� and to put in the work necessary to master material. He enrolled in all sorts of classes, relishing the next phase of his adventure.

鈥淚 had such an awesome experience because I got to take classes that ranged from leadership to criminology, to topics like Christianity in Africa and History of New England,鈥� he said. 鈥淧lus, I had people in my corner rooting for me like my advisors and the other veterans.鈥�

The Woods College advising office helped Sears use previously un-transferred JST credits from the Coast Guard to graduate a year early, allowing him to use the remainder of his GI Bill to cover a master鈥檚 degree. A Navy veteran who became Sears鈥� unofficial mentor encouraged him to enroll in the Woods Cybersecurity Policy and Governance program, and Sears applied, taking his first two courses鈥擱ole of Intelligence and International Cybersecurity鈥攚hile still technically an undergraduate.

鈥淭he Coast Guard motto is semper paratus,鈥� he said of his drive. 鈥淲e鈥檙e always ready.鈥�

鈥楢 small community within a bigger community鈥�

Looking back, it鈥檚 impossible for Sears to separate his 51茶馆 experience from his identity as a veteran. He feels he owes much of his academic success to the preparation he received as a Coast Guardsman, both in the classroom there and as part of a diverse crew working toward a common goal. At the same time, having other veterans in the classroom at 51茶馆, as well as access to the University鈥檚 student-veteran resources, helped ease his transition from active-duty serviceman to full-time student.

鈥淥ne of the best resources at 51茶馆 for veterans is other veterans,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e have a similar background, a similar outlook on life, and we鈥檙e not afraid to engage in dialogue and debate. We bring a lot, I think.鈥�

In February, Sears was nominated by his advisors for the American Council on Education鈥檚 2021 Student Veteran of the Year Award, which recognizes veterans who have used鈥� military education credits to earn a college degree. This summer, he鈥檒l receive his second 51茶馆 degree, start a new job at Dell EMC, and begin pursuing an M.B.A. at the Carroll School of Management, all while continuing to serve in the Coast Guard Reserve.

Off the beaten path, and right on track.

Alix Hackett | University Communications | May 2022