When Marine Corps veteran David Garcia (M.P.A. ’16) returned to Georgia State University for its Veterans Recognition Ceremony Nov. 10, he came back to a campus where his commitment to service helped create lasting change for fellow veterans.

Garcia, a graduate of the Master of Public Administration program at Georgia State’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, helped establish the university’s first military student advocate position, creating a dedicated resource for military-connected students navigating the transition from military service to higher education.

After six years of active duty in the Marine Corps and several years supporting U.S. Department of State projects overseas, Garcia returned to Atlanta to pursue a career in public service. At Georgia State, he found an opportunity to apply his military leadership experience and graduate education to a challenge he understood firsthand: ensuring student veterans had the support they needed to succeed.

While pursuing his degree, Garcia worked in the university’s Military Outreach Center, where he advocated for the needs of a growing student veteran population. His efforts contributed to the creation of the military student advocate position in 2016, and he became the first person to hold the role.

The military student advocate role Garcia helped establish continues today as part of Georgia State’s Military Outreach program, led by director Lisa Boyd. The university now has Military Outreach Centers on six campuses, where dedicated military student advocates help veterans, active-duty service members and military-connected students navigate their educational benefits, access campus resources and transition to academic and civilian life. The centers also connect students with community organizations and professional opportunities, extending the support Garcia championed a decade ago.

Garcia reconnected with Boyd and other Military Outreach staff at the ceremony. For Garcia, the reunion was a reminder of the relationships he built at Georgia State.

“I really enjoyed working in the higher education setting and working with students in the military student advocate role. Whenever I come back to Georgia State and I’m in downtown, I feel like I’m at home and I love that about Georgia State. I always have good memories when I come back,” Garcia said.

Today, Garcia serves as director of government relations for Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta, continuing a career dedicated to strengthening communities through public service.

“Alumni like David Garcia represent the true spirit of public service,” said Thomas J. Vicino, dean of the Andrew Young School. “His commitment to serving others continued after the Marine Corps. As an advocate for fellow veterans in the nonprofit sector, David demonstrates how military experience and a public service education can create lasting impact. On Veterans Day, we honor the sacrifices of those who have served in uniform and the many ways they continue to strengthen our communities.”

In recognition of Veterans Day, Garcia reflected on his experiences in the military, his time at Georgia State and how both shaped his approach to public service.

Below, he joins Grace Toland, a Coverdell Fellow in the Urban Studies Institute at the Andrew Young School, in conversation. The following has been edited for length and clarity:

How did your experience in the military inform your perspectives in the classroom?

“I was a little older when I came back to school. I didn’t have a traditional undergraduate experience because I got my undergraduate degree online while I was in the military. When I came to Georgia State University for my Master of Public Administration, I was a little older than the rest of the students in the classroom. But serving in the military exposed me to people from all walks of life.

“The leadership qualities that the military instills taught me to always look out for people who are younger than me. So, I brought a sort of ‘big brother’ perspective to the classroom. I feel like the younger students always looked to me for advice and leadership. In general, my military experience made me a well-rounded person and leader."

Can you tell me a little bit about what led you to create the military student advocate role?

“My role in the creation of the military student advocate position was through helping the Veterans Affairs certifying official at the time. I helped them understand that this work was more than just processing GI Bill applications. Student veterans needed a place to feel safe, especially around 2014 to 2016 when there were a lot of veterans transitioning out of the military and into higher education because of the new GI Bill. There was a large influx of student veterans on campus and there were no targeted support systems for that population.

“I feel I was at the right place at the right time, as a veteran, as a graduate student and as a VA work-study student in that office. I was able to provide a firsthand perspective on what students were experiencing and I communicated that directly to the VA certifying official who worked directly under the registrar at the time. So, I had a direct line to the registrar, and I think that helped them understand that the university needs to have a dedicated person to do this work.

“Right around the time I graduated, they created the military student advocate role and I was hired for the position. It was my first job after grad school and it is still one of my favorite jobs I’ve had. I got to work with students every day for two years. I loved being in downtown and I love Georgia State. It was really fun and an awesome experience.”

How did your multiple roles at Georgia State University — from student to your VA work-study and then to your position as the military student advocate — shape your approach to public service?

“The MPA program gave me a good foundation for understanding the importance of professional training to lead a public sector organization, whether it’s a nonprofit or a government agency. I think it’s important to have professional training in that kind of work.

"My MPA gave me a broad set of skills that allow me to be a leader in the public sector. The curriculum was broad, but in a good way. I really like that it had strong ethics and transparency components. The MPA, along with my work on campus and being around students, gave me a comprehensive perspective on the importance of public service and how I can serve my community.”