From Deep Sea to Dewey Decimal: Following one Navy veteran’s journey to becoming a Librarian

Nick is a U.S. Navy veteran with a specialization in submarine operations whose office is lined with bookshelves overflowing with an array of genres. He found that the key to maintaining sustainable stress levels and managing the symptoms of his conditions is to surround himself with the thing he loves most: knowledge.

Nick began working with Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS) when his Veterans’ Career Advisor connected the dots about the services MRS can provide after hearing how Nick’s health impacted him at work and school. At the time, Nick was working at a local bookstore.

Nick took a “deep dive” with his Veterans’ Career Advisor and MRS counselor to explore his vocational and post-secondary training options. He participated in vocational evaluations to assess his interests and aptitudes, and later conducted a Transferable Skills Analysis and Labor Market Survey. All these helped water the seed that was already growing: Nick wanted to become a librarian.

Although he had already accumulated some college credit, his GPA had suffered when he withdrew from classes due to escalating health issues. MRS collaborated with the local community college to advocate for having his GPA re-evaluated.

MRS provided some education and assistance with applying to various financial assistance options, and discovered that Nick was eligible for multiple supports through his FAFSA Pell Grant, Post 9/11 G.I. Bill and Michigan Reconnect. Thanks to those supports, Nick graduated with his associate’s degree in December 2023.

When Nick’s health symptoms became exacerbated, MRS helped provide information and referrals to local health department programming so he could explore medical insurance options and, therefore, expand treatment options. He was able to acquire the insurance and support he needed to stabilize symptoms. MRS also referred Nick to the local Center for Independent Living so he could participate in personalized Social Security Benefits Counseling and make informed choices about the options available to him as a Social Security Disability Insurance recipient.

Nick was then admitted to a bachelor’s degree program in Integrative Studies at Grand Valley State University and began attending classes. While there, he had an internship at a local library to help support curriculum for homeschooled learners in the community.

MRS connected him with a service to help assess his current study skills and determine need for additional support. This service helped Nick develop some enhanced study techniques and recommended assistive technology that could help Nick with furthering his academic career.

The tuition for Nick’s bachelor’s degree was covered through the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill and he graduated in May 2026 with Summa Cum Laude distinction. Nick was then accepted into a Master of Library and Information Science program at Wayne State University and began classes in the Fall 2026 semester.

Since he maximized benefits of all other financial resources previously available to him, Nick is working with MRS to access this post-secondary training without having to take out costly, unsubsidized student loans.

He is attending this educational program virtually while also supporting his resource-limited local library. Nick is optimistic for the future as he tackles his first grad school semester, and he is grateful for the support of MRS.