Alexandra Wert ’27 grew up in a low-income household in the Midwest and joined the US Air Force because she felt she couldn’t afford to go to college.
Eight years later, she is now living out her college dream as one of the five student veterans currently enrolled at Bowdoin under the College’s partnership with Service to School (S2S), a nonprofit that helps military veterans get a college education.
Wert joined up in 2017 as a command-and-control battle management operator, meaning she had the critical job of managing airspace in an often-chaotic battlefield environment.
From her base in South Carolina, she deployed twice to the Middle East in support of US military operations throughout the region.
“During my first deployment, I worked with the Joint Personnel Recovery Center, handling in-flight emergencies and coordinating rescue missions,” said Wert, who is a trained rescue and recovery diver.
“Afterward, I was stationed in Italy for two years, where I deployed to Romania and then supported in-unit operations in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”
It was during her final assignment at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia, she said, that Wert decided to pursue an undergraduate degree, discovering Bowdoin through its partnership with the S2S program.
“I knew I wanted to serve the public, just in a different way.” She chose Bowdoin, she said, because of its commitment to the common good.
“Here, I have been able to continue shaping my future career path. I was able to intern with the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations this last summer and have recently attended Harvard Kennedy School’s Public Policy Leadership Conference. It is an honor to be able to represent Bowdoin in these spaces,” said the philosophy and visual arts double major.
“What I love most is the community here,” she added, “especially the rugby team. I am so thankful to have met incredible people who inspire and challenge me every day.”
To read more about Bowdoin's student veterans, check out the following links:
From Sailor to Student: Navy Vet Enjoys New Chapter at Bowdoin
