Editor’s note: This story is part of a series of profiles of notable fall 2024 graduates.
As a new U.S. Air Force veteran who had been deployed five times to the Middle East during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Derek Wilson was running out of options.
Unable to find steady work after leaving the military in 2014, Wilson was unable to make mortgage payments on the house he bought for his family while still in the service. He lost the house and he and his family experienced homelessness and financial instability while he battled mental and physical health barriers.
Wilson, today the fall 2024 outstanding graduate of the School of Social Work, held several jobs over the next five years, but none of them lasted.
Wilson, who grew up in a military family in Washington state and Hawaii, had unsuccessfully tried five times to be employed through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ vocational rehabilitation program. On the sixth try, in 2019, he begged for one more chance.
He was connected to a job that would ultimately determine a future career he never knew existed — in social work.
“They asked if I would be interested in working at a nonprofit that was assisting many veterans with the same challenges I had encountered,” said Wilson, who added that at this point he had hit rock bottom. “I obliged.”
The nonprofit was about to close its doors, having only a 3% success rate helping veterans overcome obstacles to success. The only employee left when Wilson started his first day was its founder and CEO.
“He asked me what experience I had. I had no experience. He said, ‘I want you to help veterans going through the exact same thing you did,’” Wilson said. “I learned how to manage cases, call agencies, arrange for help for veterans. It turned out that I was really good at it.”
“Good at it” might be an understatement. After Wilson began working there, the nonprofit was able to increase its success rate to 47% within eight months.
The VA took notice of his ability to help veterans secure jobs and benefits, he said. An official asked him what he thought about going into social work.
“I didn’t know what social work was. They said it was the same as what you’re doing now, but you’ll get a license and the work will be more in-depth,” Wilson said. “I said, 'Let’s give it a shot.'”
Social work meant going to college, a daunting idea for Wilson, who said he graduated high school with only a 2.0 GPA. But after earning an associate degree, he enrolled as an immersion student at Arizona State University, taking courses at the West Valley campus.
Today the Glendale, Arizona, resident and first-generation college student has a job at ASU’s Pat Tillman Veterans Center, where he assists some of the more than 20,000 student veterans the center serves.
Wilson said he and his comrades first learned about Tillman in 2004 while deployed to Iraq. Tillman, an ASU and Arizona Cardinals football player, famously gave up his massive salary to enlist in the U.S. Army Rangers after 9/11. He was deployed to Afghanistan, where he was killed in 2004. At the time, Wilson said he didn’t know of Tillman’s connection to ASU.
Read on to learn more about Wilson’s ASU journey.
Note: Answers have been edited for length and clarity.
Question: What’s something you learned while at ASU — in the classroom or otherwise — that surprised you, that changed your perspective?
Answer: When I first got to ASU, one of the first things I heard at a welcome event was to take advantage of the opportunities that are offered at ASU. I resonated with that advice being a first-generation college student and was provided with many opportunities as a result, including being hired as a staff member at the Pat Tillman Veterans Center to continue working in the military-affiliated community.
I had a small cohort of colleagues in my classes at ASU who all had varying experiences that I was able to learn from. I think that I owe my success in college to them the most, as they encouraged me to put forth my best effort in all of my classes. This changed my perspective, from trying to be successful alone to one where I now believe that it takes an entire community to be successful.
Q: Why did you choose ASU?
A: I chose ASU because of Pat Tillman’s story and dedication to service. I was deployed to Iraq while Tillman was in Afghanistan and knew of his story throughout my military career. Once I got to Arizona and learned more about Pat Tillman at ASU, I felt that it would be the right university for me.
Q: Which professor(s) taught you the most important lesson while at ASU?
A: I can’t name any one professor. They all taught me a great deal from their individual perspectives. However, two stand out the most. Assistant Teaching Professor Kassaw Merie taught with vulnerability using his own experiences, which really resonated with me that through my previous experiences I can excel in higher education. Another professor who helped me realize that I could be a social worker is Bahney Dedolph, a faculty associate who has been a social worker for a really long time. She introduced me to a broader perspective on social work while in her course. It helped me realize that, despite my experiences, even I could be a social worker.
Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to those still in school?
A: Higher education isn’t a destination; it is a lifelong journey. Embrace the difficult moments because that is when you are learning the most.
Q: As an on-campus student, what was your favorite spot to study, meet friends or to just think about life?
A: My favorite place of all campuses is the Delph Courtyard at the ASU West Valley campus. My favorite place to meet friends and think about life is at the Pat Tillman Veterans Center, where I feel at home within ASU.
Q: What are your plans after graduation?
A: After graduation, I am planning to go right back to school to pursue master’s degrees in public administration and social work. My ultimate goal is to continue working within the military-affiliated community. I am also in the planning stages of creating a nonprofit organization that will assist military veterans who are having difficulty in their transition out of institutional settings.
Q: If someone gave you $40 million to solve one problem on our planet, what would you tackle?
A: I would divide the $40 million among organizations that are tackling the Grand Challenges for Social Work.
The School of Social Work is part of the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions.
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