Michael is a Disabled Combat Veteran and the President of the Student Veterans Association at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). He graduated earlier this month with honors, as double major in Psychology and Sociology. Michael served in the U.S. Army for a little over eight years as a Combat Medic and Radiology Technologist, achieving the rank of Sergeant. He served in Kandahar, Afghanistan for 13 months on the “Trauma Team”, seeing all coalition forces and local national patients involved during conflict needing medical treatment in southern Afghanistan. After military service, he attend The University of Texas at Arlington and completed only one semester, due to being diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a result of dealing with the death and dying associated with combat. After several long years of Veterans Administration (VA) counseling and resources, he was able to cope and was better prepared and equipped to conquer the task of continuing his higher educational pursuits and obtaining his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. He wants to help other fellow veterans overcome their individual diversities and obstacles to thrive personally and professionally in the world after military service. Michael was born and raised in Texas and has a six year old son “Tyler”, who lives in Fort Worth, Texas.
