Where Are They Now?
When Samuel Lopez was deciding what to do with his life, he looked to his family. “My brother was a Marine, my stepdad was a Marine, so I decided to do the same thing,” he said. “I’ve literally been doing it ever since.”
Lopez graduated from Dublin High School in 2008, and started going to school at Navarro College studying kinesiology and intending to play on the football team. After a semester, he transferred to South Texas College to be closer to his parents, who had moved to South Texas after he graduated.
“College just wasn’t for me at the time,” he said. “I wasn’t really taking it seriously.”
So in April of 2009, he decided to enlist out of Harlingen, Texas. He spent the next year learning the ropes, first doing basic training and then learning to be a landing support specialist. In 2010, he was sent to Hawaii as a part of the Combat Logistics Battalion 3, and soon deployed to Afghanistan.
For the next few years, he was sent on several deployments to the Philippines and to the Middle East. When he returned from the Middle East, Lopez went to school at Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, CA, to become a Marines recruiter. When he finished, he worked as a recruiter in San Antonio and then in Jacksonville, Florida.
He enjoyed working with younger people and sharing his experiences in the Military. “The Marine Corps for me was a lot of fun,” he said. “There are things that they instill in you, like keeping going, never quitting, taking on challenges. Even like, being comfortable being uncomfortable. When I get out of the Marine Corps, just for the simple fact that you have the Marine Corps associated with you now, it’ll set you up for success down the road, no matter what you’re doing.”
After six months in Jacksonville he was deployed again, then spent time at bases in Virginia and Mississippi. “In Mississippi I commissioned a brand new ship, the USS Fort Lauderdale,” he said. “After we commissioned it, we went back to Virginia for about three months before I transferred to San Diego, California, where I’m currently working for the Naval Staff and getting ready to deploy again next year.”
Throughout his years in the Marines, Lopez enjoyed the social aspect of his work, and was even able to continue playing football. “When I went to college, my main goal was to play football and I kind of turned down that opportunity,” he said. “But then when I joined the Marine Corps I actually played four years of football for them.”
Lopez is glad he found a fulfilling career through the military. “I’ve been really successful in my career with promotions and advancements,” he said. “I’ve been doing it for 14 years now. It’s allowed me to continue on with my college education; currently I’m working towards my bachelor’s in biomedical science.”
Upon returning from deployment, Lopez will be enrolling into courses at Tarleton, where he was accepted last year.
He hopes to retire at 39 after 20 years of service and find a new career working with animals — possibly as a veterinarian. When he’s not working, Lopez enjoys working out and spending time outside.
Lopez is looking forward to spending more time with his two children, Zane, 10, and Holland, 4, who live in New Mexico with their mother. His parents, Maria and Clifford Cole, live in Whitney, Texas.
Through his life, Lopez has found inspiration in his natural desire to be successful. “I was a natural competitor, like, in my mind I was just driven,” he said. “I just want to be the best version of me. And then once I had my, once I had my kids, it was like, everything I do now is pretty much just solely for them. To have something to leave behind for them.”
Lopez’ advice to Dublin graduates is to look at life with a positive attitude. “Everything happens for a reason,” he said. “Live your life and have those experiences. Take the bad, and use it as a life lesson.”
Editor’s Note: This column chronicles what Dublin graduates have done since high school. If you have any suggestions for other grads, email publisher@ dublincitizen. com.