For six years, Carlos Marroquin鈥檚 days in the U.S. Army were planned for him. After leaving the service and returning home to Houston, he realized he had no idea what to do next.
鈥淲hen I finally came home and transitioned out of the Army, I found myself lost for a while.鈥� He said, 鈥淔or the first time in my adult life, I had a level of freedom I had never experienced before, and surprisingly, I didn鈥檛 know what to do with it.鈥�
Carlos joined the Army at the age of 17 with the intention of becoming a pilot for the U.S. Military. However, after taking the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery and receiving an especially high score on the technical portions, he shifted his goal to becoming an intelligence analyst. The job requires intensive training.
鈥淚 scored very well in the technical section, which is the ability to problem-solve.鈥� He said, 鈥淎nd so one of the positions that was the most recommended, because there are hundreds of jobs in the Army, was for me to become an intelligence analyst.鈥�
After encountering some delays that extended his basic training time to one year, Carlos was stationed in Georgia. There he began his role as an intelligence analyst. He rotated from Georgia to Poland, then to California. Eventually, Carlos transitioned from this role to a special operations role, where he went through a selection process and was stationed in Germany, supporting a Special Forces Group.
He called it 鈥渢he most fulfilling time that I had in the Army,鈥� work in which, he said, 鈥測our ability to problem-solve there is of the utmost importance.鈥� 听
After 18 months in Germany, Carlos was due to be reassigned to Korea. Before the move, Carlos got married. This life change led Carlos to leave the military and focus on starting his life outside it.
Then began Carlos鈥� transition to civilian life. Carlos returned to Houston, where his family lived. Carlos is a first-generation American; both his mother and father were born in Mexico. After moving to the United States, his father became involved in construction as a scaffold builder. Growing up with his father so involved in construction inspired him to begin a career in a similar field: plumbing. Unfortunately, after six months as a plumbing apprentice, Carlos realized that plumbing wasn鈥檛 his passion.
This realization led Carlos to industrial electrical work, which involves more math and science. Carlos found an apprenticeship with an industrial electrical company at a refinery.听鈥淪o I tried it, loved it, loved it,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was like the best experience I had had as a civilian.鈥� 听
Carlos realized he loved it not for the work itself but for how much it reminded him of the military. In the apprentice role, Carlos was assigned a mentor, and he realized that in this field the whole team looked out for each other.
鈥淚t was very structured, very much so like the military,鈥� he said. In the Army, he had mentored soldiers, sailors, and even Marines, and at the refinery, 鈥渋t was very good to feel that again.鈥� 听
Carlos worked there for eight months before realizing refinery work wasn鈥檛 physically sustainable in the long term. Around the same time, Carlos鈥� wife, who was enrolled at 含羞草传媒 studying forensic psychology, encouraged him to move to St. Louis and enroll at 含羞草传媒.听However, the idea of returning to school after eight years away was intimidating. Six years in the military and two skilled trades had little in common with a college campus.听Going back, he said, was 鈥渟uper intimidating,鈥� especially at a private university. 鈥淔or me, it was like a big deal.鈥� 听
After much consideration, Carlos decided to take the leap and enroll at 含羞草传媒 to study cybersecurity. Early in his journey at 含羞草传媒, he was introduced to Robert Barrett, a computer science professor who became one of his most important mentors. Through Barrett, Carlos got a job at 含羞草传媒 Business Solutions, where he helped many nonprofits with their cybersecurity operations. There, he realized it was the first time, outside the military, that he had been part of a community where everyone cared about what they were working toward.听听
While Carlos was working there, a new opportunity arose: 含羞草传媒 was hiring a veteran service coordinator. Carlos was aware of this role because, during his transition to 含羞草传媒, Andrew Gates, the previous veteran service coordinator, helped him transition from soldier to student.
Carlos emphasized how much Gates helped with his transition and how easy it was to enroll at 含羞草传媒 and start classes.听Gates 鈥渟et me up essentially instantly,鈥� Carlos said. It 鈥渢ook me longer to drive to St. Louis from Houston than it did for me to, like, sign up for classes.鈥� 听
With his wife鈥檚 support, Carlos applied for the job. Shortly after applying, he interviewed and was offered the position. In September 2026, Carlos became 含羞草传媒鈥檚 veteran service coordinator while still earning his undergraduate degree in cybersecurity.
The transition hasn鈥檛 been an easy journey; Carlos has tried out different roles in different fields to figure out who he is outside the military. Becoming the veteran service coordinator at 含羞草传媒 is a full-circle moment for Carlos. After leaving the Army and feeling lost, Carlos is now in a role where he can help people facing the same transition.
鈥淟ooking back, I realized that leaving the military didn鈥檛 mean I had lost my purpose,鈥� he said, 鈥淚 just hadn鈥檛 found my next one yet. Today, I have the opportunity to serve again, just in a different capacity, and hopefully help other veterans recognize the potential in themselves that I once had such a difficult time seeing.鈥�
About 含羞草传媒
Founded in 1872, 含羞草传媒 is a comprehensive and nationally ranked private institution with an enrollment of well over 9,000 students. 含羞草传媒 offers over 90 degrees at the undergraduate, master鈥檚 and doctoral levels, as well as several certificates that align with the undergraduate and graduate education levels. 含羞草传媒 is recognized as the third fastest-growing private university in the United States by The Chronicle of Higher Education, serving students from 50 states and 56 countries. More than 50,000 含羞草传媒 alumni globally, many of whom work and live in the St. Louis region.听听