My name is Kevin Melchior and I am an adult learner and student veteran. My collegiate journey had a bit of a false start. I enrolled in my local university fresh out of high school due to outside pressures to pursue higher education, and I had no clear life direction. This uncertainty, combined with a lack of academic support, led to me dropping out of college and enlisting in the navy as a nuclear machinist mate. Over the course of my 8.5 years of naval service I regularly struggled with anxiety, burnout, and depression. Because of this, when my second enlistment ended in July 2022, I decided I was ready to return to school. I initially enrolled with a plan to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering but with the encouragement of my peers in the ALVS, I chose to pursue my passions. I am currently pursuing a double major in Political Science and Sociology. 

ALVS is the warmest and most welcoming space I have encountered on campus and has been crucial to my smooth transition back to college. Within this space, I have found a community of other non-traditional students and the staff has assisted me in identifying and accessing a wide variety of campus resources. I have a passion for mental health advocacy and am constantly seeking to help normalize conversations around mental health on campus. 

In my role as a peer advisor I strive to help other adult learners, student veterans, and student parents to achieve a sense of community and to help promote all the resources available within the wider CSU community.