Brian Daniel ’21

Hometown: Mahopac, New York

Branch/MOS: U.S. Marine Corps; Arabic Linguist, Special Operations Capabilities Specialist

Duty stations/deployments: Camp Pendleton, Kaneohe Bay, Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, Fort Belvoir, OIF, OEF-A, RWOT

Rank upon separation: Gunnery Sergeant (E-7)

What advice would you give to other enlisted veterans looking to apply?

Always take a holistic approach to your application but don’t shy away from anchoring your strengths as a candidate to your military service. Enlisted veterans are unique as they often leave the service to pursue an undergraduate degree before ever applying to law school. This passage of time might make you feel like your enlistment is less relevant to your application. However, the real world experiences and leadership challenges you encountered are both remarkable and transformative. So try to reflect on how your service has shaped your perspective and enabled you to achieve your goals in and after the military. In short, emphasize not only your successes in the military but also how those experiences will make you successful moving forward.

How has your military experience helped you at HLS?

The Marine Corps teaches you to work hard, endure harsh conditions, and thrive in uncertainty. In other words, it has perfectly prepared me for my 1L year.