When Ryan Pavel (Detroit, ‘12) received the rejection letter from his preferred college, the recent high school graduate didn’t know which way to turn. Suddenly, he was facing an uncertain future and the prospect of a new path.

Pavel, however, didn’t standstill for long. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, serving on two non-combat deployments in Iraq. But it was his journey afterward that led him to opening a door for hundreds of veterans to pursue college degrees through the Warrior Scholar Project, where he now serves as CEO.

After completing his military commitment, Pavel pursued a bachelor’s degree at the University of Michigan, completing his degree in two years. He considered attending law school, but after six years of serving his country, Pavel wanted to return to some form of public service and found teaching at low-income schools in Detroit as a Teach For America corps member enabled him to shape students’ growth and foster them as their careers take off.

“I went to a (TFA recruiting) session at Michigan, and it clicked for me, this idea of being able to serve something bigger than myself again,” Pavel said. “I liked the idea of being able to take a lesson and impart that to other folks.”

Pavel saw teaching as a challenge. Little did he know the kinds of challenges he would face during his two years with TFA.

Pavel landed on the east side of Detroit at Danby High. This school like many in low income communities struggled with limited resources. Pavel found there weren’t the right books, lined paper or a curriculum set. There wasn't even air conditioning.

“There weren’t the most basic foundational things that you would need to teach students,” Pavel said. “But I can be scrappy and resilient when I need to be.”
Determined to improve the students’ learning, Pavel staged a book drive with several buddies from the Marine Corps that enabled the school to have a library specific to the curriculum that various teachers needed.

“I liked the challenge, and I knew teaching would give me some perspective,” he said. “I knew that if I was able to teach that I would gain a ton of perspective that would make me a more effective public servant in whatever I would do next.”

The Warrior Scholar Project was a perfect place for him to guide young lives beyond the classroom, and further impact lives.

The project, founded in 2012, is a national nonprofit that hosts academic boot camps supporting U.S. military veterans and service members who are interested in a college degree. It offers a rigorous academic curriculum and resources to service members and veterans who have been away from the traditional classroom environment. The service men and veterans have a chance to revisit core academic skills and find community with others who share a dedication to service and education.

The Warrior Scholar Project has successfully served more than 2,500 servicemen across the nation.

Pavel found that having fellow veterans on a campus with 28,000 students at Michigan helped him feel less like an outsider. They also helped him navigate the transition of the rigors of the military to the critical-thinking environment of college.

The TFA alum said the boot-camp format allows servicemen the opportunity to find ways to extend their service and make an additional impact on society.

“I mean, that's the good stuff,” Pavel said. “That's the sweet spot. I tell people it resonates in the fiber of my being, and I truly mean that.”

Pavel combined his military experience with his days as a teacher, serving as director for the former TFA Military Veteran Affairs. He continues to work on getting service men and veterans to be K-12 teachers, citing two former Warrior Scholar Project staff members who left to become TFA corps members.

“I do think that we need many more veterans in the classroom,” he said.

“I'm a firm believer that part of what should be happening to meet the teacher shortage is getting many more veterans energized to see this as their next act of service.”