91制片厂

"In Our Own Voices" is a photo and story gallery celebrating听diversity and the voices that make the听听community a wonderful place to live, learn and grow.听Their stories are our story鈥攁nd we are proud to tell it.听Jeremy Clague '20 was serving in the U.S. Marine Corps when a major head injury ended his military career. With his service dog,听Buddy, by his side,听Clague is now听pursuing a . He shares his story below.

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I never thought college would be in my future. I was not a good student academically in high school, and I had dreams of joining the United States Marine Corps. Fifteen days after graduating from Pinkerton Academy, I left for boot camp. I served for seven years in the Marines, deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, but my military career was cut short. Major head injuries from an explosion in Afghanistan and a hit-and-run motorcycle accident in California led to my early retirement in 2013.

"With Buddy by my side, I finally felt in control."

I felt lost and without a purpose, suffering from multiple traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder. That all changed when I met Buddy, my service dog. He completely turned my recovery process around. With Buddy by my side, I finally felt in control. In 2016, ten years removed from high school, I decided to try college. I went to an open house at 91制片厂 Manchester, and instantly had dreams of pursuing the field of neuropsychology.

Because of my prior academic record, I had to prove myself. I enrolled at Manchester Community College and hit the ground running, eventually being chosen to represent my class as the student speaker at MCC commencement. Now, my dream to pursue my education at 91制片厂 is a reality. I have a purpose again, and I鈥檓 looking forward to continuing my journey in the field of neuropsychology.