Student Spotlight: Brett Bean '11
In fewer than one-and-a-half years, Brett Bean went from being a Boston College Eagle to a member of the Screaming Eagles of the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division. “I joined three months after the September 11 attacks,” says Bean. “It seemed cavalier at the time, but in truth I had considered joining the military ever since I was a young boy, and this felt like my moment.”
Bean was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant and rose to the rank of Captain over the course of his two tours of duty in Iraq. Bean left the Army in 2007.
His next mission: Notre Dame Law School.
“Serving in the military and experiencing what I did has really rearranged my priorities and altered my perspective,” says Bean. “At Boston College, I was all about getting the best grades, even if it was just through memorization. I’m not worried about grades anymore. My greatest goal is to learn the material inside and out, broaden my understanding of the law, and form close relationships with classmates and faculty. I don’t have a lot of anxiety about law school.”
Something else he doesn’t have to worry too much about: tuition. Bean is going to Notre Dame Law School on the GI Bill. Under the most recent version of the bill, signed by President Bush in July 2008 and taking effect in August 2009, the government will pay the equivalent of full tuition at the most expensive state school in a former soldier’s home state. Bean will also get “locality pay” for room and board. That means he’ll receive the amount a Sergeant would earn for living expenses in South Bend, Indiana.
“Though the GI Bill doesn’t completely absolve a student of financial responsibility, it certainly allowed me to pursue an education at Notre Dame without hesitation,” says Bean. “I’m thankful for the bill’s passage because it allows service members—regardless of their financial status—to build a life after the sacrifices they made post-9/11.”
