“I knew after visiting the university and talking to Director of Veteran and Military Affairs Jason Burke that I was confident in my decision to go to Quinnipiac,” said Lekko. “He has made the entire process from start to finish easy.”

Lekko served from 2014 to 2018 as a U.S. Marine sergeant and motor transport operator. She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in communications, media studies and public relations from Quinnipiac, and will complete her master of sciences in public relations this May.

Lekko cites the individual support of Quinnipiac’s faculty as a particularly important part of her success.

“I’ve had friends who’ve attended big schools with huge classrooms. At Quinnipiac, you can develop a rapport with your professors which better suits your academic experience,” she said. “It’s relieving to know that if I have any questions, I can easily approach a professor.”

Now based in New Jersey, Lekko commutes once a week to campus. She also works as the event coordinator for the city of Princeton’s Chamber of Commerce.

Though her current role is fulfilling, Lekko looks forward to new opportunities that will be available to her upon graduation. “I love it, but my heart is with music and sports. I hope to pursue a career in one of those fields diving more into public relations,” said Lekko.