{"id":10324,"date":"2019-08-01T15:53:52","date_gmt":"2019-08-01T20:53:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.maryville.edu\/mpress\/?p=10324"},"modified":"2019-11-06T09:59:32","modified_gmt":"2019-11-06T15:59:32","slug":"a-smooth-sea-never-made-a-skillful-sailor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.maryville.edu\/mpress\/a-smooth-sea-never-made-a-skillful-sailor\/","title":{"rendered":"A Smooth Sea Never Made a Skillful Sailor"},"content":{"rendered":"

Eric Skelton is not your typical college student. Before coming to Maryville, he worked on naval aircraft carriers, had a full-time job in the aviation industry, met the love of his life and welcomed his first child. Now, he\u2019s on campus with the goal of furthering his career. His success is largely due to the fellowship and camaraderie he\u2019s discovered through the Maryville Student Veteran Organization (SVO)<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Skelton\u2019s story begins after his high school graduation. He attended a college close to home, where he got mixed up in the wrong crowd. His studies quickly declined, and he was forced to leave school. Looking for a new direction, he decided to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, father and aunt and join the Navy.<\/p>\n

Skelton enlisted as an aviation structural mechanic. He would spend the next four years in Japan, working on aircraft carriers stationed at Naval Air Facility Atsugi and then at U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka. A normal day was a 12-hour shift on the flight deck working on F-18 fighter jets, building ejection seats, installing air conditioning systems and conducting other routine repairs. In his downtime, Skelton worked out at the gym and studied baseball in his bunk.<\/p>\n

The work was rewarding, but Skelton faced challenges. Fellow military personnel in his unit struggled with high anxiety and mental illness. That stress, coupled with the demands of military life and his high-risk job, took their toll. When Skelton returned home to Missouri, he turned to alcohol to help him deal with the loneliness and fear.<\/p>\n

\u201cCivilian life didn\u2019t treat me well for a while,\u201d Skelton said. \u201cI battled some personal demons and was going down a hard path until someone took a chance on me.\u201d<\/p>\n

That someone was his now fianc\u00e9e, Tiffany. She encouraged Skelton to seek treatment and helped him secure a job. In the process, Skelton was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. The diagnosis helped him seek out additional help, including being paired with Gemma, a yellow Labrador retriever. Gemma provides support in coping with emotional overload and has greatly contributed to Skelton\u2019s healing.<\/p>\n

Shortly thereafter, Skelton found Maryville. He was drawn to the University because of its small student-to-faculty ratio. He also discovered academic programs aligning with his interests. He\u2019s currently majoring in communication<\/a> and plans to pursue sports journalism after graduation.<\/p>\n

While Skelton loves Maryville, he admits the transition to college life was tough because he is older and has more life experience than most students in his classes. \u201cI met some people in class, but I didn\u2019t go out of my way to make new friends. I just wanted to get my schooling done and get good grades,\u201d Skelton said. But this past semester, he learned about the new Maryville SVO, which has brought him out of his shell.<\/p>\n

\u201cI met other student veterans, and we have so much in common,\u201d he said. \u201cThese men and women are easy to talk to, and we can relate to each other\u2019s experiences. An hour-long conversation feels like just a few minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Skelton helped organize the group\u2019s first-ever donation drive during the holiday season. Maryville SVO collected arts and crafts supplies, clothing, hygiene items and toys for Youth in Need, a nonprofit organization providing resources for at-risk children and teens. Skelton also helped manage Maryville SVO\u2019s Facebook page and Instagram account to promote the event.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you had asked me last year, \u2018Would you consider being a member of a student organization?\u2019 I would have told you \u2018No,\u2019\u201d Skelton said. \u201cBut if I could go back and give myself advice, I would say, \u2018Go look into this! Get involved with something around campus. You won\u2019t regret it.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

This story originally appeared in the Spring 2019 issue of Maryville Magazine<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/i>Love<\/span>0<\/span><\/span><\/a> <\/i> <\/i>