From EMT to Army National Guard: First-Gen Montclair Graduate to Speak at Winter Commencement
Psychology major Brianna Correa balanced full-time online study, frontline emergency medical work and National Guard service using military education benefits to earn her degree
Posted in: Admissions, Graduate Spotlights, Humanities and Social Sciences
Brianna Correa embodies the meaning of service. A first-generation college student from Paterson, New Jersey, she completed her bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Social Work in just 2.5 years while working as an EMT and serving in the Army National Guard. Her commitment to helping others and building a life of purpose has led her to the Winter Commencement podium, where she’ll address her classmates on Jan. 13, 2026, as the undergraduate speaker.
“I am a go-getter. I like to do as many things as possible. If I’m not busy, I feel like something’s wrong,” says Correa, who thrived by taking flexible online courses designed for students balancing work, service and study.
Her story mirrors Montclair State University’s mission as a public, Hispanic-Serving Institution: meeting students where they are, supporting military-connected learners and helping first-generation graduates transform their communities.
Balancing my coursework while working as an EMT, as well as serving this country as a soldier in the New Jersey Army National Guard, taught me that strength doesn’t always look loud. Sometimes it looks like showing up tired. Sometimes it looks like choosing not to quit. And sometimes, it looks like believing in yourself long before you see the results.”
That quiet strength has defined Correa’s life, beginning in high school when she enrolled in the medical arts program at Passaic County Technical Institute, trained as an EMT and simultaneously earned her EMS (emergency medical services) license.
Rooted in Paterson, Driven to Serve
“Being an EMT was never part of my original plan, but I don’t think half of my life was,” says Correa, who credits her family and their Puerto Rican culture for supporting her as she embraced different opportunities. “My family is small, but we’re huge when it comes to love and affection and caring.”
Her next step came unexpectedly – shipping out on her 18th birthday with the Army National Guard in July 2022. “At the time of my enlistment, I did not know my purpose. I didn’t know why I wanted to join. Obviously they had good benefits that stood out to me, meaning they would pay for college. I decided to use that as my starter.”
Correa graduated from National Guard training as a signal support system specialist, “which means I work with communications and radios and all that stuff.” The experience was transforming. “I found independence, but most importantly, I found a family. Serving my country has shown me so many new opportunities. It’s given me more insight on where I want to go in life.”
Finding Montclair – and a Calling to Serve
Using her National Guard education benefits, Correa enrolled at Montclair, where she discovered a supportive network for military-connected students in the Veteran and Military Resource Office.
She was working as a full-time EMT and fulfilling National Guard duties as a recruiter, working shifts from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. “There was no way I could sit in a class. I was lucky that all of my classes I needed at certain points were online. I ended up doing fall, spring, summer, winter, and I maxed out on all my credits and finished super fast.”
“I have the discipline that it takes to be able to take so many online classes without forgetting one or falling behind,” she says. “Whether it came from my parents or whether it came from the military, I was on top of my stuff.”
Studying Psychology, she added the Social Work minor after meeting a counselor who helps veterans struggling with PTSD or substance abuse. She realized that social work was a path that could connect “my civilian world with my military world” and lead to a meaningful career after college.
That includes a new job as a registered behavioral technician, working with children with autism, striving for a promotion in the Army National Guard by taking the Basic Leader Course and applying to graduate school at Montclair for Counseling.
Reflecting on how far she’s come, Correa says, “There are times I get emotional. I’ve completed so much at the age of 21. I cannot believe I’m only 21. I have such a great support system that I feel anything I put my mind to, I can accomplish.”
This story is part of a series celebrating Montclair State University’s graduates – students who embody the University’s mission to broaden access to exceptional learning opportunities and contribute to the common good.
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