TOPEKA (KSNT) – Tyler Crenshaw was finishing up his high school education, uncertain about what the future held. Looking for a challenge that would push him, he joined the Marine Corp.
“Coming out of high school, I felt I was one of those people I wouldn’t have done well going straight into college,” Crenshaw said. “Mostly cause I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up. I feel like my time in the Marine Corp really gave me a chance to figure out who I am as a person.”
As a maintenance management specialist, Tyler worked on the administration side. Keeping communication smooth and consistent, making sure that everything was connected.
“Everyone has got to be on the same page,” Crenshaw said. “If one guy is not informed that could mess up an entire operation or just throw everything out of whack.”
Tyler’s position with the military took him all over the world, from Japan to Norway to South Korea. Trotting the globe, he learned pivotal life skills that he uses every day as a student.
“Gaining that experience, that discipline, the self-drivenness, those are a lot of things I take from my experience in the past and now as a college student,” Crenshaw said.
He’s got some advice for those in the service who are wondering about what to do once leaving the military.
“Try to find something you think you’d be passionate about,” he said, “I think that’s a big thing, and also realistic as well. Take some time to think hey what are my strong suits what are my weak points, but don’t focus on the aspects you struggle with, focus on the ones you strive at. Apply those, do some research, and think where can I take my hard and soft skills, and apply them in the civilian world.”
Tyler is studying business management at Washburn University in Topeka. He has an expected graduation date of Fall 2023.
