Photo: Travis Brown (center) in Washington D.C. with Veterans Upward Bound staff Michelle Ciesielski (left) and Josh Boley.
Ozarks Technical Community College alumnus Travis Brown is not the first member of his family to serve in the military. Both of his grandfathers completed tours of duty in Vietnam, and one lost his legs and the use of one arm during the conflict.
Rather than discourage Travis from joining the military, his grandfathers’ experience gave him a sense of duty.
“I figured if they could make that sacrifice, I could do my time,” Travis said. “I joined because there are bad people in the world with bad intentions, and we need good men to stop them.”
Travis entered the Marines when he graduated from Marionville High School in 2012. As a joint fires observer, Travis was responsible for targeting artillery fire. During one deployment in Iraq, he played a role in freeing Ramadi and Fallujah from control by the Isis califate.
While Travis came home in one piece physically, he had Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder when he returned to Missouri. PTSD could have derailed his higher education goals, but thanks in part to OTC’s Veterans Upward Bound (VUB) program, Travis graduated from OTC in 2020, earned his bachelor’s, and has his sights set on graduate school.
“I am really grateful for VUB,” Travis said. “They helped me with math and English refresher courses, which boosted my confidence. And I don’t feel so out of place because I am connected to other veterans.”
Travis Brown (right) with fellow Marines
Veterans Upward Bound is a federally funded program that helps veterans and active military members enroll and succeed in higher education.
When Travis left the Marines, he came home and worked a few jobs that didn’t have much of a future. That experience encouraged him to go to college.
“Due to my PTSD, I knew I didn’t want to go into healthcare,” Travis said. “I was always good at math, so I chose business.”
Travis did well in his classes and even worked in Veterans Upward Bound as a tutor helping his fellow veterans get ready for college classes. After graduating from OTC, Travis then went to the University of Arkansas. He earned a bachelor’s degree in supply chain management in May of 2022.
After graduation, Travis found a job in his field, managing the logistics for a local nutritional supplements company. But now, he’s back working part-time at VUB, and this fall, he plans to begin working on a master’s degree in supply chain management at the University of Tennessee.
“I like to find solutions to problems,” Travis said.
Even though Travis is no longer in the military, he’s still serving. Last March, Travis went with OTC’s Veterans Upward Bound staff to Washington, D.C., to encourage lawmakers to fund programs like VUB.
“I told our congresspeople about my struggles and how VUB helps veterans be successful,” Travis said.
Travis also started an organization called “A Warrior’s Six” — six refers to six o’clock — another way of saying, “I’ve got your back.” Travis sends encouraging quotes daily to fellow veterans.
“In the military, we’re all taught to be tough, but we are human beings,” Travis said. “I’m just trying to get people to understand they are not alone. People just need a little encouragement.”