Recipient Story: Jason Schweitzer

My name is Jason Schweitzer and I’m a student in the Master of Social Work program.

I grew up in Saint Charles, MN where I was captain of the wrestling team, played the trumpet in band, and was elected Class Treasurer. Upon High School graduation, I enlisted in the United States Army as an Infantry Paratrooper. Yes, I jumped out of perfectly good airplanes. When my service contract was complete, I enlisted in the MN Army National Guard stationed in Rochester, MN. Concurrently, I completed a Bachelor of Applied Sciences degree in Psychology and a Philosophy minor.

Once I had moved to Minnesota, I became engaged and was married a year later. Seven months after my wedding, I was deployed to Kuwait with the National Guard and served overseas for six months. Shortly thereafter, the 9/11 attacks occurred and I was activated for an airport security mission for eight months in Rochester, MN. In 2003 I was deployed to Kosovo for a peacekeeping mission. In 2005, I deployed to Iraq for 22 months, which happens to be the longest amount of time any unit has been deployed to Iraq. Upon my return, I enrolled in the University of MN Rochester’s Master of Social Work program. I have less than two years to serve for a twenty year military service retirement. I plan to continue serving our country by helping our veterans and their families as a licensed clinical social worker. I have reduced my work status from full-time to a .75 position to accommodate a 480 hour internship and will take a leave of absence for three months to complete my final internship, hopefully at the VA hospital in Minneapolis, MN. In the next 5-10 years, I see myself working at a VA hospital or clinic setting with veterans and their families.

This scholarship will help with expenses while I prepare for my future.