OCEANSIDE — As the nation honors those who served this Veterans Day, MiraCosta College recognizes the nearly 5,000 veterans, active-duty service members, and military dependents it serves each year through its award-winning Veteran Services programs.
Among the many stories of perseverance and transformation is that of Army veteran and MiraCosta College student, Mike Umhra, whose journey embodies the resilience and dedication of the veteran community.
When Umhra returned to MiraCosta College in the summer of 2023, he was at a crossroads. After a 12-year military career that took him to 47 countries and saw him rise through the ranks, the retired Army veteran was searching for a new path forward.
“The pace of my life changed in an instant,” Umhra reflected. “I had been to combat. I was a paratrooper. I worked in special operations. Most people don’t have the tempo I had for a 12-year career.”
The transition to civilian life brought its own challenges.
“There were a lot of emotions in the beginning,” he said. “Going from a career where I was a leader in my field to now not knowing what I’m doing. I felt worthless.”
Umhra’s return to MiraCosta College was a decision rooted in unfinished business. More than a decade earlier, he had attended college as a young student before enlisting in the military. In 2023, he returned determined to complete what he had started.
“I owed it to myself and to my family, and to MiraCosta College,” he shared. “I wanted to finish what I started.”
This time, he found a dramatically different experience. MiraCosta College’s Veteran Services helped him navigate his transition back to academic life, connecting him with resources, guidance, and a network of mentors who believed in his potential.
“My perception of myself was always low when it came to the world of education,” Umhra explained. “I remember in third grade I got told I couldn’t read at the right level and that lack of support and self-doubt persisted even as I got older.”
That began to change through the encouragement of his professors and counselors, who recognized his natural gift for storytelling and creative expression.
“In 30-plus years of my life and education from preschool to high school and some college, I had never had a teacher tell me I was good at something,” he shared. “It was so jarring at first that I didn’t even want to believe it.”
His dedication and growing confidence led him to the Warrior-Scholar Project, an academic “boot camp” experience for veterans. Umhra was accepted into the program and attended classes at Harvard University, where he excelled and gained new clarity about his future.
“I have never thought so hard in my life,” he said. “I felt like I was on deployment, but in an educational setting. I was learning so much and soaking it all in.”
Today, Umhra’s poetry is being published, and he continues to grow as a writer. He plans to become a therapist with a minor in journalism, hoping to support others who have experienced trauma similar to his own.
“Education has been the most healing thing for me,” Umhra shared. “As a veteran, people see that I’m here and I’m doing it. But it hasn’t been easy overcoming what I have been through. I still carry that struggle into my work and my drive for the future.”
Faculty and staff see in Umhra a powerful example of what’s possible when veterans are given the tools and support they deserve.
“When veterans thrive, it represents not only their successful academic transition but also personal transformation and growth,” said faculty member Jacob Strona. “MiraCosta consistently invests in resources, specialized programs, and supportive services tailored specifically to veterans’ unique needs, creating a welcoming environment that actively honors their service and facilitates their academic and personal success.”
As Umhra prepares to graduate, he hopes his story will inspire other veterans and students who face similar obstacles.
“Don’t let anybody snuff your light out. Believe to the very end that you have something to offer this world,” he said. “I’ve fought hard for every opportunity, and I carry the memory of those who can’t walk this path beside me. Every class, every challenge, I must make it. That’s my why.”
For more information about the college’s Veteran Services and resources, visit miracosta.edu/veterans.
