Lt. j.g. Joshua Fiveson spends his free time helping lead Service to School, a non-profit that provides free, peer-to-peer admissions counseling to active, inactive, and retired U.S. military service members. As one of the organization’s directors, Fiveson recently planned and led the group's national “Admission Accomplished” conference in Washington, D.C., which featured retired U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus, as a keynote speaker.
Drawing attendees from across the nation, the event hosted top universities for a day of free workshops focused on how to successfully navigate the transition from Service to School Amongst the universities leading these workshops was Harvard, Fiveson’s alma mater, as well as MIT, Yale, Chicago, Georgetown, Cornell, George Mason, Smith, and Williams.
The event closed with a public forum between Fiveson and Petraeus at Georgetown's School of Business. The two discussed the many benefits of higher education, the unique challenges service members face in the admissions process, and fielded questions from the audience.
"To me, service doesn’t depend on whether I’m in uniform or not," Fiveson said. "So when I realized how many service-members—active and retired—were simply unaware of the amazing opportunities available to them, I knew I had to do something to help. Many believe that top universities are out of their reach. But more often than not, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. The biggest hurdle is helping folks recognize, develop, and embrace their potential. It’s leadership 101. Long story short, the work I do with Service to School allows me to help our brothers- and sisters-in-arms pursue their dreams while I grow myself into a more effective leader and, ultimately, a better officer. That’s what they call a win-win situation where I come from.”
Currently, Fiveson is on an active duty deferral to serve as an Attorney Advisor to Judge Kevin Ohlson at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.