My name is Jennifer Santos, and I am a student veteran at Harvard University studying Neuroscience.

I enlisted in the military right out of high school and served for five years. My path to higher education was nontraditional, and the transition into college felt unfamiliar and overwhelming. Navigating admissions, understanding benefits, and adjusting to a new environment came with challenges that were difficult to anticipate and even harder to navigate alone.

One of the biggest gaps I noticed was representation. Conversations around higher education often come from those who followed more traditional academic paths, which can make it difficult for service members to see themselves in those spaces. I want to serve as a demonstration that this path is possible. That someone can enlist, serve, and successfully transition out of the military into higher education, not just navigating it but truly thriving as a student veteran.

That belief led me to create The Women Veterans Education Project. My goal is to build a community where women who have served can support one another through mentorship, shared experiences, and access to resources. What began as an idea has grown into a developing mentorship program designed to make the transition into higher education more accessible, more understandable, and less isolating.

I created this initiative not just to provide guidance, but to build a lasting network where women veterans feel seen, supported, and empowered. My hope is that through this work, more women will be able to envision themselves in academic spaces and step into them with confidence.

If I can do this, so can others, and I am committed to making that path clearer and more accessible for every woman who comes after me.