Nov 11, 2025 · 40 min
In this episode of Service to School Stories, host Whitney Cason sits down with Luke Hixson, a U.S. Navy veteran whose journey from the fleet to the Ivy League and now medical school proves that there’s no single path to success after service. Luke shares how he went from treating Marines as a Navy corpsman to studying neuroscience at Princeton University, and now training to become a physician at Rutgers Medical School. He opens up about overcoming imposter syndrome, failing the MCAT the first time, and finding strength in mentorship and community. This conversation dives deep into what it means to transition, to persevere, and to keep your purpose front and center, even when the path gets tough. Whether you’re thinking about college, grad school, or med school after the military, Luke’s story is a powerful reminder that your service prepared you for more than you realize. 01:10 – From Tennessee to the Navy 03:00 – “I Was Good at School — I Just Didn’t Like It” 04:50 – Applying to Princeton as a First-Year Veteran 06:20 – Showing Maturity Through Essays 07:45 – Choosing Princeton and Planning for Med School 09:25 – Lining Up the Path to Medicine 11:10 – Early Assurance and the Road to Rutgers 15:30 – The Toughest Challenge: Failing the MCAT 17:15 – Adjusting to Life at Princeton 20:00 – Building a Social Life (and Staying Humble) 23:45 – Dating as a Veteran on Campus 26:20 – Inside the Early Assurance Process 31:45 – Transitioning to Med School 34:30 – Building a New Community at Rutgers 36:45 – Advice for Veterans Pursuing Medicine 38:50 – Closing Reflections Additional Resources: Work with Service to School (S2S) Princeton University VetLink Partners Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Princeton University Health Professions Advising (HPA) Early Assurance Program (Princeton–Rutgers)