Douglas Arellano

Douglas Arellano
I chose Virginia Peninsula because I have a few friends who came here. They told me how easy it was working with the VA section and using my GI Bill here.

Virginia Peninsula Community College is priming Douglas Arellano for a second career. Arellano retired from the U.S. Navy in 2011 with 20 years of service. Today, he manages time between classes and his duties as an at-home father of three while his wife is on active duty in the Navy. "My career goal is to become either an American history teacher or social studies teacher, depending on what grade I choose to teach. If I do American history, it will be high school. If I choose social studies, it will be middle school," he said.

"I chose Virginia Peninsula because I have a few friends who came here. They told me how easy it was working with the VA section and using my GI Bill here. I feel comfortable here. It's also helping me get my required courses out of the way toward my degree," added the Newport News resident.

Although his education will be affected when his wife transfers to Illinois in the spring, Arellano plans to complete his community college studies and eventually transfer to a four-year school. "Since I'm from Illinois and near my family, I am hoping to attend either the College of St. Francis or Lewis University," he said.