I AM UAA: Walter Jensen

Natural Sciences, pre-med track, Class of 2015
Hometown: Goehner, Nebraska
Fun Fact: Competed in the second annual UAA Beard & 'Stache Competition

Growing up in an Air Force family in the middle of a cornfield limits your options for teenage rebellion. Walter Jensen decided to "Go Army." Army Reserve, that is, since he still had to finish high school. "I was 17," he says, so he also had to involve his mom. "It took quite a bit of convincing." She thought he might be better off joining the Air Force where his dad could help pave the way for him, but she came around and signed off.

So, maybe it wasn't your typical teenage rebellion since it involved paperwork and parental signatures, but that decision helped chart the course for Walter's future.

Today, Walter is a natural sciences major on the pre-med track at UAA. He's also the vice-president of Student Veterans of UAA-a chartered member of Student Veterans of America-and president of the UAA Pre-med Club. Classes and club activities help to eat up some of the energy he built up in his 13 years in the armed forces. He explains, "We're capable of doing so much on a regular day, sometimes when you get out, it's a little stagnant and it'll bother you." And if his work with student clubs and stacks of homework don't burn up all that energy, there are always mountains to climb, a favorite pastime for him now that he's landed in the "outdoor paradise" that is Alaska.

Walter separated from service with the military in 2011 to pursue his education. "I really like the military and am interested in finishing a career there," he says. "My favorite option right now is that I'll get back into the military as a doctor."

But before that, he's looking forward to enjoying a few years in Alaska while he completes his undergraduate degree, then on to med school.

After six years with Army Reserve, Walter opted to go active duty in 2004. He trained as an unmanned aerial vehicle operator, or, in much cooler Army-speak, a UAV pilot. His intimate knowledge of aerial vehicles, or drones, is one thing he does like to talk about now.

As a student veteran he sometimes fields questions from classmates and professors about his experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan. When asked what questions he doesn't mind answering, he says, "I wish people would ask more about cultural experiences. What did we learn?" He's eager to share about the bright cultures he's witnessed and some of the mind-blowing art and food he's experienced. And if you want to get into the nuts and bolts of what our soldiers do, he continues, "We like to talk about the technical side of our jobs. We're proud of that."

The flip side of that question gets a sigh. Walter, like most vets, has fielded more variations on the tactless "How many people have you killed?" question than he cares to count. Questions about feelings are also tough to field. "Some days you can answer those well and other days..." he trails off and shakes his head. "Understand that we may not want to talk about things right away." Sometimes it means talking to a professor outside of class to give them a little background so they won't hold it against you if you have to step outside to take a deep breath, something he had to do a couple times. "I was a little grumpy my first semester, but I didn't want to chance representing who I was or who other veterans are; I didn't want to be the guy who blew up."

Part of Walter's involvement with Student Veterans of UAA is motivated by his desire to help other veteran students. "I felt lost when I first came [to UAA]," he says. "I originally reached out to the club because I wasn't quite ready for the VFW or the American Legion." SVUAA felt like the best fit for a younger veteran who was plugged in to education, and the people he's met through SVUAA have helped to ground him. Now, as vice-president of the club, it's gratifying to lend a hand or expertise to other students in the same boat.

Walter's leadership role with both student clubs is about crafting the college experience he wants for himself and his fellow students. It should be engaging and fun and involve students with their community and in their very cool backyard full of trails and wildlife and snow, but surprisingly little wind, if you ask a Nebraskan. He marvels at how awesome it is to play outside in the winter here: "Snow is so different when there's no wind!"

"Honestly, I question sometimes whether I'm ever going to be ready to leave [Alaska]," Walter says with a smile. His undergraduate degree is his most immediate goal, but UAA's WWAMI program is looking attractive to him for just that reason. They don't require any signatures from mom to apply, but maybe a phone call to Nebraska to see how she feels about a "windless" winter visit is in the future?