Office of Veteran Affairs

Holly Burd joined the United States Marine Corps in May 2006. After completing training to become a Cryptologic Linguist, she was stationed with 1st Radio Battalion at Camp Pendleton and deployed OIF (9) and OEF (10). After five years of service, Holly was honorably discharged in September 2011. She is currently attending DePaul University and pursuing a degree in computer science, data science, and geography. She is passionate about veteran empowerment through civic engagement. Holly can be reached at hburd@depaul.edu.

Michael Gagliano joined the Navy in December 2018. He worked as a Mineman on the USS Ardent, USS Cincinnati, and USS Charleston across various departments. He earned four Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals. After the USS Ardent's decommissioning, he helped test the Navy's new Mine Countermeasure Systems aboard the USS Cincinnati. In his final months, he deployed with the USS Charleston, focusing on weapons duties and participating in the La Perouse exercise. This deployment also allowed him to visit several Southeast Asian countries. Michael can be reached at mgaglia4@depaul.edu.  

Stefanie Macias joined the U.S. Army in October 2017. After completing training at Fort Sill and Fort Lee, she served as a Small Arms and Artillery Repairer with the 3rd Cavalry Regiment at Fort Cavazos. Following her separation from active duty in 2021, she transferred to DePaul University, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a Master’s degree in Sustainable Management. She is currently pursuing another undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies. Stefanie can be reached at smmacias6@depaul.edu.

Ricky Nguyen enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in July 2018. Following initial training, he was stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe Bay, where he served in a field artillery battery as a Fire Direction Controller with 1st Battalion, 12th Marines. In this role, he coordinated fire support operations alongside the 3rd Marine Regiment, U.S. Army units, and elements of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Ricky was honorably discharged in July 2022 and subsequently relocated to Chicago. He is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Accountancy at DePaul University and can be reached at rnguye14@depaul.edu.

Brett Wilson enlisted in the United States Air Force in May 2018 and began his service by attending the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California, where he studied Levantine Arabic. Upon completing his language training, he was reclassified as an Operations Manager and stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina. There, he served for four years with the 4th Civil Engineering Squadron, coordinating daily logistics, maintenance scheduling, and project support, as well as overseeing materiel procurement and warehouse inventory management. During his tenure, he completed two overseas deployments — one to Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates, where he supported Operation Allies Refuge by helping to establish temporary shelters for refugees, and another to Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, supporting mission-critical infrastructure and operations in joint coalition environments. Brett can be reached at bwilso74@depaul.edu.