OUR STORY

Earlier this year, I met a friend who changed the way I looked at the veterans' issues in our country. He was a security guard at the Sterling Law Building at Yale, and I was merely a freshman at the college. We had different backgrounds and grew up in different parts of the country, but we both shared a love for our country and its unique history. It didn't take long for us to begin testing each other on historical and political ideas from Washington to Roosevelt every time we saw each other.

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Soon I started asking him questions that my Professors would pose to us in class. This might be hard for you to believe, but he often had a better understanding of the essence of these ideas than most Yale students I knew (including myself) even though he had little formal schooling after high school. This prompted me to ask him if he'd ever considered going back to school and getting a degree from a school like Yale. He told me that he knew that he earned the Montgomery G.I. Bill after serving 3 years of active duty in the US Navy, but never considered that it was a real possibility for him to attend a top school without cost. The application process - which required several forms and high school records-  intimidated him and he wasn't aware of any of the organizations or programs (like Yellow Ribbon) that were to help him continue his education.

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One must ask why a young man who served his country and clearly possesses the necessary intellectual ability should be denied the chance to go to college and have a better future simply because the government did not hold out a helping hand. It isn't enough to merely have federal programs in place or non-profits doing amazing work if veterans do not know how to access them. After my friend was honorably discharged, nobody sat down with him and asked what he'd like to do or how he could get there. They simply told him his benefits and wished him well in his future endeavors. 

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This is not how we - as citizens - ought to repay our debt to our brave servicemembers. They deserve more, and we're going to do our part, even if means working outside the confines of government. I have spoken to veterans from across this country and can tell you that my friend isn't alone - this is a real problem. Veteran Pathways is a product of this friendship and all the conversations that resulted from it. I don't have all the answers and may not have the perfect experience to lead this project, but I am committed to this endeavor and I hope you will join me.

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-Yash Chauhan (Founder and Executive Director)

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