From the Battlefield to the Classroom: Army Ranger Blends Military Lessons with Love of Learning to Excel as College of Business Graduate Student

Since 2001, nearly 3 million U.S. service members have been deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq for Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom. Staff Sgt. Dennis “Denny” Cosmo is one of these individuals, serving as a paratrooper and mortar gunner for the initial invasion in 2003, and then as a Squad Leader in the 75th Ranger Regiment’s Military Intelligence Company from 2007-2008. During his time in combat, he never imagined he’d be attending graduate school at the University of Rhode Island after he completed his service. But that is exactly what happened.

Staff Sgt. Cosmo has never shied away from opportunities to advance his education. Over the course of a nine-year military career, he attended some of the Army’s most demanding leadership programs — Airborne, Air Assault, Jumpmaster, Pathfinder and Ranger School — earning multiple skills certifications and badges. He also participated in an 18-month Arabic language school at the Defense Language Institute.

“I’m a firm believer in life-long learning,” says Cosmo. “For me, education is power, and the knowledge and skills gained through my schooling has helped me get to where I am today.”

This past spring, Cosmo added another impressive credential to his list of accomplishments – an M.S. degree in Labor and Human Resources from the URI College of Business. Human resources was a natural fit for him as he is passionate about people-development and strategic organizational leadership. URI offered a diversity of learning experiences that he desired, and it was recommended by several fellow veterans who enjoyed their experience at the University.

Staff Sgt. Cosmo’s military training provided him the skills to successfully tackle the rigors of a URI College of Business graduate program. His multiple combat deployments to Iraq, including one as an 81mm mortar Squad Leader with the 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, helped him develop the mental determination and physical grit to excel in any environment. He channeled these experiences and capabilities during his studies and sees several parallels between military and academic life.

“Schools like Ranger and Pathfinder and the Defense Language Institute not only give you a physical and mental gut check, but they also help you develop and flex your intellectual and academic skills,” he notes. “They throw a lot of novel information and scenarios your way and you need healthy study habits to keep your head above water. At URI, I encountered lots of new and interesting knowledge in each and every one of my College of Business courses – new vocabulary, laws, and business practices. I fell back on learning strategies I picked up during my military career to help me succeed in graduate school.”

Cosmo has wasted no time putting his URI degree to work. Before graduating, he was hired as the director of the Veterans Center at Bristol Community College, where he manages program development and integration for military affiliated students.

His advice to other veterans who study at URI is straightforward, relevant, and practical: “Own your education, become a critical and reflective thinker, and consider how classroom theory applies to real-world settings.”

Cosmo also strongly encourages veterans to grow their professional networks, join student-led organizations (such as URI’s chapter of Student Veterans of America), pursue internships, and participate in business plan competitions.

“Every veteran student has the potential to become a successful, well-rounded, true warrior-scholar,” he says.