CARROLL COUNTY — For Army veteran Clint Held, the transition from active duty to college began with a moment of urgency.
Carroll Community College honors student veterans through SALUTE induction
“I was in my car one day, about like three months of getting out from active service, and I was like, well, I need to get a plan together,” Held said.
Held, who served four years on active duty in the Army, is now on the nursing track at Carroll Community College. He was among the students recognized through SALUTE, a national honor society for student veterans, active-duty service members, and military-connected students.
SALUTE was formed in 2009 through the Colorado State University Veterans Office and recognizes academic achievement among student veterans and active-duty military students. The organization’s name stands for service, academics, leadership, unity, tribute, and excellence.
For Held, the recognition carries added meaning because it comes from the community where he grew up.
“It feels good to be recognized by the community that I grew up in,” Held said. “It’s kind of a unique feeling to come back home and be recognized.”
Held served as a medic in the army, including during a deployment to Iraq. He returned from Iraq in March 2024 and said the responsibility of caring for people overseas helped shape his future goals.
“Being in healthcare in the military is quite a unique experience, especially having served overseas on deployment,” Held said. “The care that I got to give to certain people in those times of need. It meant a lot to me, and it still does when I recollect on it, and I wanna be able to bring forth that into my future somehow.”
Held credited Christopher McLean, an admissions counselor at Carroll Community College, with helping him navigate the transition from military service to college.
“He’s honestly been a mentor since I’ve shown up to the college,” Held said. “He’s been guiding me in ways to ensure me that I don’t have to have my entire life figured out as soon as my active duty service is over.”
McLean said that kind of reassurance is important for veterans entering higher education.
“They feel like they’re not fitting in and they’ve been away from the career track for four or eight or longer years,” McLean said. “So many of them feel like they’re behind. It’s a lie. It’s an illusion, but it’s easy to buy into it.”
McLean said the transition can be especially difficult for younger veterans because leaving the military can feel like a sudden break from a structured way of life.
“They really struggle to figure out what they should be doing,” McLean said. “It’s a clean break when you leave.”
McLean said part of his work is helping student veterans understand that college and career goals may take time.
“It might take several years,” McLean said. “They’re not used to that timeline.”
For Casey Pickett, who is still serving in the Guard, being recognized through SALUTE is an honor. Pickett graduated from South Carroll High School and said attending Carroll Community College made sense before he transfers to the University of Maryland.
“It’s an honor to be recognized as other veterans or that served in the past,” Pickett said. “I’m just trying to do my part.”
Pickett said the lessons he has learned through military service carry into his education.
“I’m just showing up every day, customs, courtesies, being on time,” Pickett said. “If you’re on time, everything just follows.”
He said military service can be a meaningful path for young people who are unsure what they want to do after high school.
“Being part of something bigger than yourself, serving your country, it’s a good feeling to put on the uniform,” Pickett said. “And if you’re just in, just stay at it. Stay at it and stay motivated.”
Held said he is focused on finishing the school year and continuing his education. He expects to graduate in 2028.
He also said he is working to carry the courage it took to join the military into the next chapter of his life.
“I wanna be able to continue in the courage that it took me to join and to, I guess, redefine what that looks like,” Held said.
