Warrior-Scholar: The Veteran’s College Success Kit
Published: November 2025
Description
This free course teaches veterans to unlock their enormous potential to excel in the college classroom. Through a mix of direct instruction, lively classroom discussion, and tailored readings and activities, the College Success Kit provides a first-of-its-kind course applicable to every veteran pursuing a college education.
The course was designed by leaders at Warrior-Scholar Project, a national nonprofit that has supported thousands of enlisted veterans to and through college over the past fifteen years, in collaboration with Yale University’s digital education team and with generous funding from the Northrop Grumman Foundation. It meets student veterans where they are, speaking to the unique challenges of transitioning from the military into higher education.
There are nine modules in this course, each containing essential information that helps veterans not just survive college, but thrive. Modules can be completed in isolation and in any order, though we recommend starting with the first module and working through them sequentially.
Course Takeaways
- Define the Warrior-Scholar Mindset and the Mindset Continuum.
- Analyze the identity shift from military structure to academic freedom.
- Implement strategies for optimized attention and time management (MOAT).
- Identify the fundamental academic building blocks for college success.
- Navigate the "hidden curriculum" and utilize campus resources effectively.
Meet the Instructors
Karin Gosselink is the inaugural Director of the Office of Educational Opportunity (OEO), a partnership between the Poorvu Center and Yale College. In this role, she helps guide Yale’s collaboration with the Warrior-Scholar Project, whose curriculum and academic strategies are shaped by the expertise of Ryan Pavel (Chief Executive Officer) and Cassie Sanchez (Director of Education). Karin has supported WSP’s mission for many years and has participated in Warrior-Scholar bootcamps on Yale’s campus, where she has seen firsthand the impact of their battle-tested approach to student success. Karin also teaches her own online course about College Success.
Northrop Grumman
