Terren is a U.S. Navy veteran who served nearly nine years as a nuclear submarine mechanic before transferring to Brown as an undergraduate student. Terren is a member of the Student Veterans Society and the Campus Life Student Advisory Board. 

After I graduated high school I went to college for a year, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do in life and it was hard connecting with the courses. I didn’t want to waste the opportunity so I joined the Navy and spent eight-and-a-half years as a mechanic on nuclear submarines, working on nuclear reactors and traveling all over. 

The Open Curriculum allows me to explore my interests and figure out who I am and things I’ve never had the chance to try out. I think it allows students to become global academic citizens and more well-rounded contributing members of society.

Brown has the small school vibe of getting close with your professors and having smaller class sizes so it feels like a small school, even though it’s not. Everyone contributes to the classes and we have great dialogue. Plus you’re in Providence, which is a pretty cool city. And when I need quiet, I love going to the John Hay Library on campus.

One part of being a veteran is that you still have to deal with things like Veterans Affairs, military healthcare benefits and the GI Bill. It can be quite difficult when you’re trying to focus on school, but Mac Manning, the program director of Brown’s Office of Military Affiliated Students, has been a really great resource. I feel very supported.

Growing up biracial, trying to figure out my identity was always hard for me. When I saw posts on campus for the Brown Center for Students of Color and stopped by, I learned they have an organization for biracial people. It felt like, ‘Finally, there’s a cultural identity area for me.’ I really like that Brown has an inviting culture.

There’s a club for everything at Brown. Students should definitely take advantage of all the opportunities, as well as the activities fair, the ice cream socials and all of that kind of stuff. I’ve made a lot of connections that way.