Name: Chris Trevino
Year: Junior
Major: American Political Science
Relationship Status: Single
Some Bruins take the road less traveled to represent the blue and gold. Junior Chris Trevino, 25, was a midwestern high-school student from Brownstown, Indiana when he chose to enlist in the United States Navy and volunteered for the submarine service. After five years of duty, Trevino traded military life for college life in Southern California. He is now a member of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity and the UCLA Cheer Squad. Her Campus caught up with the vet to talk about life now and then!
HC: When and why did you join the Navy? What was it like?
CT: I joined the Navy right after I graduated from high school. I’ve always held a deep and personal respect for our country, and knew that I wanted to do something to help serve and protect it. I was a sophomore in high school when 9/11 occurred, and that left a really big hole in my heart for the U.S. I felt like I needed to do something to help the situation, and the best way to do that was join the military.
I’ve always been fascinated with submarines and the difficulty of operating them, so I decided to volunteer for submarine service when I enlisted. It was a very hard, very trying and very dangerous job, but I felt like I was doing something important, and the knowledge and experience I gained will be invaluable for the rest of my life. Besides, I got to go to strange and unique places like the North Pole… who could resist doing something like that?
HC: How did a Navy boy from the Midwest become a Bruin? Did you always want to go to school at UCLA?
CT: I actually didn’t even consider UCLA when I was graduating high school. The schools I applied to were all in the Midwest except for one (University of San Diego). I was enamored with architecture and computer science at the time, and never thought of UCLA as an option. When I was separating from the Navy, my priorities had changed a little bit, and so did my college choices. My top four choices were University of Virginia, University of Texas-Austin, UCLA, and USC. I wasn’t accepted to UVA or UT, and it was by a stroke of luck that I ended up at UCLA. I’ve been a faithful Bruin ever since.
HC: You’re a member of the UCLA Cheer Squad. Did you have prior experience before joining, and what are the perks to being on the team?
CT: Actually I did have a little bit of experience before I was convinced (read: coerced by a few friends!) to join the UCLA Cheer Squad. I cheered my senior year in high school because I was looking for something new to do. I’d been playing football and track since I was in middle school, and I always wanted to learn how to do a backflip. We went on to win two national championships that year, and I’ll admit it was a great decision for me to try out.
I have an immense amount of respect and honor for our great school, and I’m glad I can do something to help promote that image. A few perks? Well, there’s a lot of great athletic apparel that we get that helps with our training and workouts, but the best perk has to be the game-time seats. On the field for football and right under the basket for basketball. There’s nothing better than being able to yell right into an opposing shooter’s face while they shoot free throws
HC: Do you plan to go back to work for the Navy after graduation?
CT: My friends from the Navy and I all have a nice little saying about our service: “Joining the Navy was the best decision we’ve ever made, but getting out of the Navy was probably the second best decision we’ve ever made.” But in all honesty, I’ll gladly put on my uniform again if we ever end up in an actual full-scale war. I love my country, and I feel an intense connection to our armed forces. If America needs me to heed the call, I’ll be more than ready to answer. Otherwise, I plan on moving forward with a career in either consulting or marketing.
HC: Everyone has a favorite quote, right? What’s yours?
CT: “I swear, by my life and by my love of it, that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine.” – Ayn Rand
Photos all provided by Chris Trevino
Photo 1 caption: Junior Chris Trevino, 25.
Photo 2 caption: In military attire. Don’t we all love a man in uniform?
Photo 3 caption: Posing with Santa Clause at the North Pole. Merry Christmas indeed!