Student Veteran Spotlight: Dru Arana

Dru Arana enlisted in the U.S. Navy in September 2004. He joined to get field experience in the construction and civil engineering field, working as a land surveyor for the Naval Construction Force during his first 10 years in the Navy. He was later commissioned as a Civil Engineer Corps officer and worked there for 10 years.

After 20 years of service, he retired on October 31, 2024. “Upon retirement, I worked for a major infrastructure company as a quality manager on the Williamsburg and Manhattan Bridges,” he says. After a successful career in civil engineering and construction management, Arana decided to pursue a lateral shift into energy and sustainability engineering. New York Tech’s Engineering Management, B.S. and Energy Management, M.S. programs caught his eye.

“I made the decision during my second semester [in fall 2025] to focus fully on school and helping the Student Veteran Organization expand their networking to optimize resources for our student veterans,” he says. “My passion is educating veterans on the benefits available to them on both the state and federal level and pursuing a lifetime of learning.”

Arana says New York Tech provides a welcoming community for veterans to pursue their higher education and still maintain a sense of esprit de corps with fellow student veterans through coordinated team building and professional development events. 

“The advice I would give to incoming student veterans is don’t operate alone in a silo. Our network is our net worth; find a fellow student veteran and/or a mentor to ensure your smooth transition back into the civilian sector and success in this chapter of your life.”