05/27/2026
Congrats to one of our dedicated students and National Technical Honor Society members Meaghan Fournier!
"Paratrooper to future Princetonian
From almost no formal schooling and having to drop out of high school so I could work, to having the privilege of panicking over which dream school to attend.
First generation college student, immigrant, low-income background, GED kid. There was absolutely nothing in my background that would ever hint that this could be a possibility for me.
This has been a long time in the making. Two years ago I decided that the first step towards a shot at some of the best humanities programs in the country was proving myself at my local community college. Today I graduated from Fayetteville Technical Community College with a perfect 4.0. The decision to go back to school as an adult was terrifying. The first time I ever attempted college I had no formal schooling behind me and I was not ready, and the grades reflected that. Coming back almost 15 years later with some life behind me, turned out to be a completely different thing.
Today was also a second huge life event — I have committed to Princeton University as a member of this year’s veterans and transfer cohort. I received offers from several Ivy League institutions and some of the best research universities in the country so this choice was one of the hardest I’ve ever made.
I chose Princeton because of their unwavering support for veterans as well as their commitment to research and the thesis requirement. They also uphold high academic standards and rigor in today’s ever changing educational landscape. As someone who is chasing education for knowledge itself and not just credentialing, this was very important to me. There is a reputation of difficulty and anyone who knows me knows that I chase a challenge. (Also the history. They are older than the actual country and the whole place looks like Hogwarts hello!?.)
I owe a debt of gratitude to the Warrior-Scholar Project for helping me realize my place in a liberal arts environment and for believing in me before I fully believed in myself. Service to School provided the support I needed to apply to these schools and a mentor who guided me through the application process. A heartfelt thank you to every professor at Fayetteville Technical Community College who wrote countless letters of recommendation and stepped in as my advisors when I didn’t have one.
Finally, thank you to the team at Princeton for answering my frankly absurd amount of questions and making me feel genuinely welcome during my visit. You made this decision a little easier.
This is proof that it’s never too late and there is an important space in higher education for people with non-traditional paths.
Looks like I’ll be embracing the color orange. 🥳hashtag " by Meaghan Fournier
