Andrew Shaw and I served together in the Marines. I didn't have a clear strategy for my education when I left the military in 2017, so I started at a community college. I planned to eventually transfer to a state university, but attending a school like Yale seemed so beyond me I never bothered to consider it. A few years later, however, Andrew got into the Harvard Class of 2024. Suddenly, pursuing a top-tier education didn't seem entirely out of reach. His success inspired and motivated me, and he encouraged me at every step. He helped demystify the application process, connected me to veteran resources, and continually mentored me until Yale's Eli Whitney Students Program accepted me in 2022. Eight years after deploying overseas together, we reunited as rival seniors at The Game.
Experiencing The Game with Andrew was a true privilege. He was there for some of the hardest chapters of my life both during and after our military service. Tailgating with his Harvard friends, learning about student life there, and enjoying our new rivalry was, of course, an amazing time. More importantly, though, The Game felt like it represented our individual paths coming full circle, overlapping at a point of true accomplishment. He refuses to take any credit whatsoever, but I maintain that I would not be where I am today without his leadership and mentorship.
When we walked into the stadium, he quipped that I'd stand out on Harvard's side of the stands in my Yale sweatshirt. I didn't mind at all. If carrying on The Game's tradition means once again being a blue dot in a sea of crimson, I'm more than happy to do it.
