Marine vet seeks engineering degree

By Mallory Stiles
Staff Writer

On Nov. 10, 1775, the United States established an organization to be known as the Marine Corps.

The Marine Corps hymn came almost a century later, in 1859. Originally written as a two-act opera, it was later transformed into an anthem that reminds us all of the dedication of every marine.

“If the Army and the Navy / Ever look on Heaven’s scenes / They will find it guarded / By the United States Marines” (lines 20-24).

LCC student Shane Bartlett, 41, is very familiar with the hymn as a veteran Marine of four years. He is seen often in the LCC Learning Commons, studying hard.

“I was in the Marine Corps from ’99 to ’03; I left as a sergeant,” Bartlett said. “It was a unique and character-building experience.”

Bartlett shared he was a part of the initial invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan and had a variety of adventures.

“Once we offloaded onto Crete, a Greek island, and flew over Turkey,” Bartlett said. “We were the only coalition force allowed to cross the land. We flew on a C130 into Irbil, Iraq, then we were flown in to secure the airport in Mosul.

“It was spring time and the weather was nice. It was a high-desert climate, pretty dry but a lot of greenery. It was awesome. Not a lot of people have those experiences.”

Currently, Bartlett is pursuing a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Michigan State University, but chose LCC to get started.

Right now, Bartlett is taking Calculus 1, Intro to Computer Science and Numerical Methods and Matlab for a total of 10 credits.

Bartlett also has an associate degree in criminal justice from LCC and a bachelor’s in public safety from Siena Heights.

“Right now, I am in a VA (veterans’ administration) program that’s called Veteran Readiness and Reemployment,” Bartlett said. “The program is for veterans who have a disability rating that interferes with their current line of work and need to be reeducated for a different field.”

Between classes and homework, Bartlett raises his two sons; Wilson, who is 15, and Sebastian, who is 8.

“Wilson is a gamer with a sense of humor,” Bartlett said. “Sebastian is autistic but brilliant. He taught himself to read before he was in kindergarten and could count into the trillions by the power of 10 before he was 5.”

Anthony Parisio, a classmate and friend of Bartlett, jumped at the chance to comment on Bartlett’s character.

“What stands out to me about Shane is his welcoming personality and his willingness to crack a joke,” Parisio said. “He is very determined and it shows. … He is a big team player and always willing to lend a helping hand.”

Bartlett said he enjoys cooking, specifically smoking or grilling. He also plays guitar and chases his black lab named Bruno. However, none of his hobbies or responsibilities interfere with his current goal of reeducating himself. 

“I am more cynical than most,” Bartlett said. “I think it’s important to understand there is a possibility of failure. If you don’t acknowledge it, you can be blindsided.”