DMAE has produced alumni in various career fields, such as the arts, sports, and medicine. But one standout alumnus in particular is DMAE’s class of 2015 Desiree Peterson, who is not only moving towards representing DMAE with honor, but also her country. Desiree was recently accepted into the Marine Corps.

Desiree was first motivated to join the U.S Marine Corps due to the admirable and wholehearted attitude displayed by marines.

“They have so much pride and passion in what they do. I have always wanted to be a part of that since I got here. They are willing to do what it takes to complete the mission of the United States,” she expressed vibrantly.

Desiree made the Marine Corps her ultimate goal, one that led her to her current occupation as a student at the United States Naval Academy with her service selection being the Marine Corps (Ground). Despite going to a military school, Desiree’s academic life is similar to that of typical students who attend regular state universities.

“School is more normal than you think,” Desiree explained. “The only difference is that I get the opportunity to do some really cool stuff sometimes. I have been on a submarine, flown an airplane, been in a bunch of helicopters, and broken some bones in training,” she explained laughing.

Throughout this transformative journey, Desiree has been continuously supported and encouraged by her friends and family to follow her passions. Her brother, Brandon, and sister, Ashley, were especially supportive of her choice to go to military school.

“They knew it was my desire to not only join the military, but to get an education. It was something that was important to me and they were glad to see that I was able to get both,” Desiree stated.

Desiree will be graduating from the United States Naval Academy later this year with the class of 2019. With all that her experiences in military school have taught her, she is most appreciative that she has learned to become more comfortable with failure and challenge preconceived boundaries to her own capabilities.

“I didn’t know how to swim when I got here and after a million failures, I learned and I am so proud to say that. If I hadn’t challenged myself in that way, I never would have become a better person from when I got here,” she reflected.

Desiree has since found a new goal that displays both of these ideals.

“A huge goal I have now is to become a lawyer. I want to find a way to go to law school while I’m in the Marine Corps, so that I can become a JAG officer [a military lawyer],” Desiree said.

Even after her graduation, Desiree is eager to continue moving towards the best version of herself in and outside of the Marine Corps.

“I don’t want to settle. I’ve found that there is so much growing that I have left to do, but that can only be done if I take the time to understand who I am,” she concluded.

Disclaimer: None of the opinions of this interview are representative of the United States Naval Academy, US Navy, or the US military.