Breanna Carter grew up in the small town of Pocola, Okla., where everyone knew everyone, her grandmother lived next door, and her high school graduating class had just 40 students.
When it came time to pick a college, Carter wanted to stay close to home. In 2013, she enrolled at the University of Arkansas in Fort Smith, unsure of what she wanted to study, and eventually changed her major six times. But while her academic path remained uncertain, one decision was clear: joining the Air National Guard.
“I always knew if I was going to go to college, I’d have to figure out how to pay for it,” she said. “I was like, okay, let me join the Air Force. My mom was in it. My dad was in it; he retired a couple of years ago. My brother ended up being in it. My stepdad, my uncles, my cousins. It almost felt like a family tradition in a way.”
Ironically enough, she was stationed at the 188th Air National Guard base in Fort Smith, Ark., the same base where her dad and stepdad had served.
Before she dove into basic training, Carter was able to complete her first year of school just down the road. Then, for eight weeks, she was located at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. Having the chance to pick her job, Carter became a 4Y0X1, a dental assistant, who supported the dentists in many procedures, as well as taking X-rays for the doctor.
Each day, the participants followed a strict schedule: eating at designated or set times, going to classes to learn about the military and the chain of command, practicing marching, and exercising. The format became a mindset Carter applied to her daily life. While it was physically and mentally hard, she knew it was what she needed.
“My parents had gotten a divorce. There were a lot of things that were changing, and a lot of things that were out of my control,” she said. “I’d be doing my exercises, and you only have your head to be in. You don’t have music, so it gave me the time to process and to work through those emotions and those feelings.”
Throughout her next three years at the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith, Carter was an active service member, called in one weekend a month for duty, as well as a two-week training in the summer. She was also involved on campus, working in the student activities office and being in sorority Gamma Phi Beta.
After graduating from the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith in December 2018 with a Bachelor of General Studies, Carter became a Graduate Assistant while pursuing her master’s degree in higher education administration at the University of Arkansas - Fayetteville.
She moved to Philadelphia and worked there for a few years before joining Brandeis University in 2022 as an Area Coordinator in Residence Life. In 2025, she became the Resident Director of Bayview Hall at Endicott College.
For Carter, several skills she learned in the Air National Guard have seeped into her role in the Office of Residence Life. She supervises the Assistant Resident Directors for Marblehead and Stoneridge Hall, as well as the Residence Assistants for Bayview, navigating time management and flexibility.
“Being in a residence hall, things can change. Is there a flood in a building? Is there a fire alarm? Is there some sort of emergency?” said Carter. “Having that adaptability from the Air National Guard and learning to go with the flow in those changes has really helped with being in education, especially in a residence hall, because you never know what’s going to happen next.”
Looking back on her time in the service, Carter realizes that the experience made her stronger and transformed her into a better person.
“I think the most rewarding part of it all is that it taught me that I can do hard things. I can do things that are scary. That I don’t know what it’s going to be like, and it’s going to be okay,” said Carter. “I learned about strength that I didn’t know I had because I never had to use it.”
With Veterans Day approaching on November 11, Carter admits that she sometimes forgets she’s a veteran herself after being out of the service for nine years. But when she thinks about the holiday, she’s reminded of the sacrifices that her family had to make.
“I think about my dad and his time in the military. The times that he was deployed, and we had a countdown on our wall, scared that he wouldn’t come back. I think about my brother and his deployment, and how scared he must have been because he was also deployed during a war, and how lucky I am that my dad and my brother came back,” she said.
Beyond the Expected
For Brigh Cote, Residence Life Operations Coordinator at Endicott, the pathway to service also began in college. Originally from Tewksbury, Mass., Cote transferred to the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, where she decided to major in communications and public relations.
With Covid-19 dismantling the typical college experience, Cote needed something to do and wanted a chance to better herself. In 2021, she signed up for the Army and started basic training that fall at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.
Having the chance to choose her job, Cote became a 92A, an automated logistical specialist, who supports the mechanics in getting their orders and making sure the supplies get there on time.
“I was nervous because it was a whole new thing. You’re up all hours of the night. It was more of a culture shock,” she said. “Most mornings, it was like a 5 o’clock wake-up, physical training, hygiene, and then whatever task that you were supposed to complete that day.”
After completing Advanced Individual Training (AIT) school in Fort Lee, she became on-call to serve while at school. Her main unit was in Bedford, Va., and while there, Cote formed new friendships, meeting individuals from all over the United States.
“The most rewarding part about the Army is how it brings people together and introduces you to people you may never have had the chance to meet,” she said. “It’s also about making sure that everyone felt like family because they were your brothers and sisters. These are the people that you are going to be on the battlefield with, to the left and the right of you.”
When Cote graduated in 2025, she found herself in a familiar position to Carter: unsure of what to do next. She landed a job as a Campus Safety Officer at Randolph College in Lynchburg, Va., but even as she settled into her new role, one thing continued to pull at her: residence life.
“I was an RA in my college. I had a first-year dorm, and then midway through, I actually got switched to the upperclassman dorm. That was always fun, putting on the events, getting to meet my residents,” she said. “But it also helped me build self-confidence and be less stern, and I was able to make those tough decisions and/or calls.”
Cote then moved back to New England to become the Housing Operations Coordinator for New England College in Henniker, N.H. Now, after arriving in September 2026 at Endicott, Cote oversees the Involvement Assistants, off-campus residents, and SEA staff in helping to develop student programming, manage logistical operations, and address conduct-related matters.
“I’m a sergeant, so I have soldiers under me who are younger than me, and I have to make sure that they have everything they need, which translates to my job now, as I oversee the involvement assistants,” she said.
Finishing up her service in April 2027, Cote looks toward Veterans Day, realizing that next holiday, she herself will be a veteran.
“What it means to me is different from everyone else. It’s something that signifies I actually did do something in my life; I didn’t stay with the status quo,” said Cote. “I didn’t follow everyone in my family who just attended college, and that was it. I went off the beaten path. I’m grateful for what the military has done for me.”