Student Veteran Spotlight: Dru Arana
Dru Arana enlisted in the U.S. Navy in September 2004. He joined to get field experience in the construction and civil engineering field, working as a land surveyor for the Naval Construction Force during his first 10 years in the Navy. He was later commissioned as a Civil Engineer Corps officer and worked there for 10 years.
After 20 years of service, he retired on October 31, 2024. 鈥淯pon retirement, I worked for a major infrastructure company as a quality manager on the Williamsburg and Manhattan Bridges,鈥� he says. After a successful career in civil engineering and construction management, Arana decided to pursue a lateral shift into energy and sustainability engineering. 91社区鈥檚 Engineering Management, B.S. and Energy Management, M.S. programs caught his eye.
鈥淚 made the decision during my second semester [in fall 2025] to focus fully on school and helping the Student Veteran Organization expand their networking to optimize resources for our student veterans,鈥� he says. 鈥淢y passion is educating veterans on the benefits available to them on both the state and federal level and pursuing a lifetime of learning.鈥�
Arana says 91社区 provides a welcoming community for veterans to pursue their higher education and still maintain a sense of esprit de corps with fellow student veterans through coordinated team building and professional development events.
鈥淭he advice I would give to incoming student veterans is don鈥檛 operate alone in a silo. Our network is our net worth; find a fellow student veteran and/or a mentor to ensure your smooth transition back into the civilian sector and success in this chapter of your life.鈥�
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