College can be tough, but getting deployed twice in the middle of the semester is even tougher. Sam Mabanta knows all to well the sacrifices made when serving his country, and trying to get an education simultaneously.

Mabanta joined the United States Army National Guard in 2002, and began attending Fresno State in 2003. One of the decisions to join the military for Mabanta was to pay for school.

Mabanta started out as music major and even was a member of the Fresno State marching band, but changed his major to business with an emphasis in marketing.

He was pulled away from school mid-semester and sent to work customs and border patrol for a year. When his time was up he assumed he was going to be sent back to school; instead he was deployed to Iraq.

“It was irritating,” Mabanta said about being deployed mid-semester. “It’s hard, I get back into the school rotation, meeting new friends and then bam ”” I get deployed.”

School wasn’t the only aspect affected when Mabanta was sent to fulfill his military duty. Such things like moving things out of an apartment before leaving were time consuming.

“I had to be able to adapt,” Mabanta said.

Coming back to Fresno State Mabanta found things a little different than before.

“It was a different atmosphere here,” Mabanta said. “A whole different group of people were here than before.”

In many ways the military has helped Mabanta in his studies. Mabanta said his public speaking skills have improved and his confidence. There was more motivation to do better and to stay involved and committed to school.

“Here at school, people drop out all of the time, they quit,” Mabanta said. “In the military, there is no quitting.”

Mabanta said family means a lot to him, and being a better role model to his two daughters. His mother greatly influences Mabanta into doing better.

Mabanta said his mother used to say, “If you don’t have anything better to do, help people.” That is exactly what Mabanta has done, not just in the military, but out as well. Mabanta is the career counselor of his unit where he helps soldiers transitioning out of the military to go back to school.

“I don’t want to see soldiers today be on a street corner with signs,” Mabanta said. “I’m kind of like their guiding light.”

Since being back at school, Mabanta said he sometimes wouldn’t be able to sleep for days. His body is used to always being on its toes, waiting for something to happen, but he is also more aware of things.

After being in and out of school and being in the military for nine years, most of Mabanta’s friends have already graduated, except his friend Francisco Rodriguez.

Rodriguez, a business marketing major, and Mabanta met in 2003 while taking a Decision Sciences 71 course together. The two will graduate from Fresno State at the same time.

“It’s awesome, I have been in and out of school and everybody I know has already graduated,” Rodriguez said. “It’s funny that we started together and we will graduate together.”

Rodriguez described Mabanta as a down to earth easygoing person, who is always telling jokes. Rodriguez said he admires Mabanta for his ability to go from being funny to serious when it’s needed.

“He is a hero for serving our country, being there for his family and friends and finishing what he started,” Rodriguez said. “Not a lot of people do that.”

Veteran’s Service Coordinator Robyn Gutierrez helps people like Mabanta transition from school to active duty or vice versa. Gutierrez said the school is very flexible on helping those who are going in and out of their military duty.

“There are some cases like with Sam, where he had to go for three weeks of training,” Gutierrez said about Mabanta. “He had to make it up with his teachers.”

When students like Mabanta are called up, their student status will stay the same, but if pulled in the middle of a semester, those credits will have to be retaken.

Mabanta has a lot of inspiration to finish school, but he said his main source today is his children. He said he wants them to go to college someday.

“It is up to you how far you go, if you don’t try, you’ll never know,” Mabanta quoted his mother. “I want to be able to tell my grandkids, I did it all.”