Derek Miller ’26 | Frederick Hometown Hero

I am a disabled combat veteran. I did two tours in Iraq and eight years in the United States Marine Corps as a Radio Operator for 2nd Light Armored Recon. After my military career, while I was getting help for my disability, I found a strong interest in psychology and sociology. I also noticed there are not enough people in the psychology field of veteran mental health and decided I would go on the path to help fellow veterans with mental health issues.

I think getting praised for my service is important to help other veterans know there are so many of us. We matter to each other, and the patriots of this country will stand up with us when we need them most. Not many veterans know and understand this simple concept.

I help the Veterans Affairs (VA) education department with the process of financial aid for veterans (and their dependents) with their education benefits. This way, veterans (and family) are getting their education with the benefits they earned through service completed.

Veterans are struggling daily. When they understand the support and have awareness for the opportunities that are everywhere, veterans can find hope in recovery. Helping other veterans find hope is my biggest goal as a disabled combat veteran and advocate for other veterans.

I had a hard time transitioning to Hood from Frederick Community College, as I have struggled in school my whole life. Going from community college to a four-year school, I felt like I was going to be struggling because the structure and criteria seemed more likely to be stricter—but this was far from the case. With the help of professors and fellow students, my experience at Hood College has been far and beyond what I could expect.

Hood is a great school for all students, but the history of the College shows that Hood has always been “for the military,” as it started as a sister campus for the Navy, where female Navy members came to Hood when Hood was a women’s college. This is just the foundation for what we have at Hood. With people like Susan Erb and Rene Gulino helping run the veteran education department in financial aid, we have a strong commitment to bringing veterans to Hood and making sure that the 80+ veterans who are here have a strong and easy experience at Hood.

Learn more about the military community and veterans benefits at Hood College.