Today@Sam Article
Salute To Service: Zachary Roth
Nov. 1, 2024
SHSU Media Contact: Campbell Atkins
This November, as Sam Houston State University observes Veterans Day, meet the campus vets that have exemplified the motto, “The measure of a Life is its Service,” in our Salute To Service Series.
Zachary Roth
Why did you choose to join the military?
ZR: I was extremely dissatisfied with my life while I was employed at the Texas Department of Criminal Justic's (TDCJ) Polunsky unit. I realized that the window in which I could do whatever I wanted with my life was closing. I decided that I wanted to serve. I went to an army recruiter that same day and I was on a plane about a month later.
What was your reason for continuing your education and choosing SHSU?
ZR: My service left me with some conditions that cause me constant pain. My job after the military was a physical one, which exasperated that pain severely. While deciding what to do, I realized that one day I would tell my daughter that she could do anything she wanted, if she wanted it bad enough. I would be a hypocrite if I didn’t try it first. I quit that trade job and started my degree path.
What do you want your civilian peers to know about your service?
ZR: I didn’t enlist to kill people. I didn’t enlist because I think that America has never done anything wrong. I enlisted because someone must stand ready when the unexpected happens. While my service never called for me to deploy, I wanted to stand ready in service to my fellow Americans.
How has your service history impacted your academic life?
ZR: I have noticed certain advantages that I have as a result of my service, including work ethic, focus and fluidity, among other things. On the other hand, my physical limitations as well as a vastly different mindset have proved to be an obstacle.
How easy or difficult was your transition from the military into an academic setting?
ZR: My transition started in January 2024. With the added difficulty of my career at the prison during early adulthood, my transition hasn’t been easy. I’m grateful for my supportive wife for her understanding. What they say is true, when you spend years away from home, life moves on without you. My family, especially my sister, has done a great job of making me feel like I have a place, despite my time away.
How has SHSU aided your transition?
ZR: The Veterans Resource Center (VRC) was instrumental in starting my college career. They had the answers to very specific questions, took the time to escort me personally to where I needed to go and connected me to resources and peers that could make my transition easier. I never felt like I was an inconvenience to them.
Do you have a hard time relating to your peers?
ZR: In short, yes. The age gap as well as the vastly different lifestyles have made connecting to my peers a hurdle. Fortunately, the demographic of Sam Houston State are all-encompassing, so if you look long enough, you’ll find someone you can talk to.
What are your future goals or dreams?
ZR: I want to be a physical therapist. I want, far more than that, to be the absolute best father and husband I can be.
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