As a chef in the Missile Squadron in the United States Air Force, veteran Collin Terling was constantly on the move, traveling four days out of the week to prepare meals for security forces. After completing his military service, Terling wanted a university that could keep pace with his desire for forward momentum. George Mason originally registered on his radar because his sister is an alumna, and he determined it was a perfect fit.
“My favorite thing about George Mason is that it never stops; it is always trying to improve. I wanted a quality education that could help my long-term growth,” said Terling, a bachelor of science in health administration student graduating in spring 2026.
Terling is a first-generation student and a part of the George Mason chapter of the federal Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) program, which provides beneficiaries with assistance with tuition, fees, books, and school supplies. George Mason has consistently ranked as the number one college for veterans in Virginia. He commends the Office of Military Service for their steadfast diligence in supporting his journey back into higher education.
“George Mason is a great school for veterans and offers a wide range of programs with endless opportunities for post-military veterans looking to get back into educational pursuits,” Terling said.
Terling decided to pursue a career in health care after seeing individual and systems-level pitfalls in quality improvement for patient care, electronic health records, financing, and integration of AI in health. College of Public Health faculty and staff guided him in his switch from accounting to health administration. He cites Assistant Professor Lee Black, Assistant Professor Stephen Brown (retired), and Adjunct Professor Jerome Bozek for their knowledge and instruction of health care finance, health care law, and medical practice management. Terling states his academic advisor Julio Diaz-Carroll has been an instrumental support as he completes his degree.
“It took me a long time to really figure out what degree I felt aligned with. I love problem-solving and hope I can make an impact on helping patients, the community around us, and contribute to the revamping of a struggling health care system,” he said.
Terling is doing an internship with UVA Health spring 2026 semester, where he hopes to take a deep dive into the complexities of the health care world and its systems.
“I want to get as much experience as I can working within multiple departments and collaborating with other teams to really get an overarching view of the many different perspectives from patients and health care staff,” Terling said.