At John Jay College, we’re committed to providing our military service members, veterans, and their families the support they need to reach their academic, professional, and personal goals. These talented students sacrificed a great deal to protect our country and the ideals that we hold dear. We consider it an honor to further their education and create an environment focused on their success. As a continuation of the admirable work done by our Military and Veteran Services Center and Veterans Association, we’re excited to highlight the achievements of our military and veteran community in our “Salute to Service” article series. As you read about their journeys, accomplishments, and aspirations, two things will become abundantly clear: These servicemen and servicewomen are focused on their education—with a 90 percent graduation rate—and they know how to support each other. Whether they’ve served in the United States Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, or Navy, their unique experiences and perspectives play a vital role in our community.
As a member of the U.S. Army National Guard, Billy Azurin ’23, a Private First Class, was called on to protect our nation’s capital on January 6, 2021. Navigating a tense atmosphere, Azurin and his fellow guardsmen were confronted with verbal taunts and even racial slurs. “When I got to the Capitol, there were some people who made it obvious that they were not okay with my race,” says Azurin, a Forensic Science major. “They said things like, ‘Why is there a Mexican protecting our Capitol?’ You just shrug it off because you’re there for a job. As servicemembers, we might have different opinions, but on a mission, there’s a shared goal to complete that mission.” Amidst the tension, Azurin was touched by one simple act of kindness.
“Growing up in this country gave me a solid foundation and I wanted to give something back.” —Billy Azurin
While patrolling Washington D.C., a woman and a small group of children started to approach him and his fellow guardsmen. “It was kind of messed up because I had my rifle and we had reports coming in that people were throwing things over the fence,” says Azurin, who’s been in the National Guard for almost three years. Then, two young girls in the group unrolled a banner that read: Thank you for protecting us. “The rest of the children came by with candy and one child even said, ‘I always wanted to meet a superhero.’ Compared to the five minutes beforehand—when some drunk guy was complaining about the government ‘sending all these Mexicans’—I had one of my proudest moments, hearing those children say that they felt protected and safe.” We sat down with Azurin to learn more about his experience in the U.S. Army National Guard and John Jay College.
What inspired you to join the military?
I don’t have any relatives in the U.S. military because I come from Peru. I was around three years old when my family immigrated here. At first, my parents struggled to build a new life. It was much easier for me to integrate into the United States and learn a new language. Growing up in this country gave me a solid foundation and I wanted to give something back. I wanted to find a way to say “thank you” and show my appreciation for all of the opportunities it’s given me and my family.
What does a typical day in the U.S. Army National Guard look like for you?
I’m 11 Bravo, which is infantrymen, so I mostly do in-field handwork. Sometimes we go to Fort Dix in New Jersey, or to Fort Drum in upstate New York, and we practice shooting, go on runs, and do marksmanship training on rifles or machine guns. We spend a lot of time on the range.
Usually, I deal with school beforehand and I let my professors know that I can’t be in class for the next few days. They normally say, “No problem, when you get back just make it up.” That way, I go into drills and I’m not worried about missing coursework.
How did the pandemic impact your job in the military?
Covid brought on a big challenge for us. My entire unit, our whole purpose is to fight, plain and simple, but when Covid happened, we had to fight something that we couldn’t physically grab or shoot at. I honestly didn’t know what we were going to do. I’m not a biologist. I’m not a doctor. What we ended up doing was a lot of manual work. Most of the test sites that exist now, we physically built them. We also helped run the test sites afterward, transporting vaccines and helping people get tested. At first, I was a bit nervous because we were going to the center of the problem. Luckily, our commanders made sure we had the proper care. We had masks, gloves, and frequent temperature checks.
I was also on duty during the Black Lives Matter protests. It was a tough situation for everyone because we all had our own personal feelings about the topic, but our mission was to make sure that nobody got hurt. Our objective was to ensure that the people protesting did it however they felt like, but in a safe manner. In the end, it was a nice two days of just seeing what was going on. Everything was peaceful. Nothing crazy happened.
What was it like on January 6, 2021?
That morning I was on my bed choosing my classes for the semester. Then I looked at the TV and I saw the Capitol riot happening. At that moment I just flipped down my laptop and thought, I’m not going to class this semester. I got the call and immediately had to pack my bags. I was in D.C. three hours later.
Our commanding officers actually gave us a choice if we wanted to go down to the Capitol or not. I volunteered for it because I’m a Latin American immigrant. One big quote that got to me was hearing people say, “Why don’t they send their own people to defend their Capitol?” That hit me because I come from two worlds. I wanted to say, “They did. They sent me. I’m part of this country.”
“The T-Mobile Scholarship was a huge relief because now I’m not worrying about how to pay for college. Knowing that someone cares about you who’s outside of your circle, it’s a really nice feeling.” —Billy Azurin
You’re a T-Mobile Supplementary Scholarship for Veterans recipient. How has that scholarship impacted your life?
My toughest challenge as a guardsman is juggling everything in my life. I wake up at four in the morning to go for a run, then I attend classes, and then I do marksmanship training. It’s physically demanding. I also help out my family when I can. They work as janitors. The T-Mobile Scholarship was a huge relief because now I’m not worrying about how to pay for college. Knowing that someone cares about you who’s outside of your circle, it’s a really nice feeling. I even use T-Mobile’s family plan for the military. It’s great. I really want to send out a huge “thank you” to T-Mobile for everything they’ve done for me, other servicemembers, veterans, and our families.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I want to get into a federal agency, either the U.S. Marshalls or the FBI. I feel like my military experience, and my John Jay education, could help me get there. In 10 years, I still want to help keep our country safe, but in another way.
“John Jay gives me the hope that if I put in the effort, if I’m resilient, they’ll get me to where I want to be in life.” —Billy Azurin
Can you finish this sentence for me? Because of John Jay…
Because of John Jay I have hope. This has been a difficult two years for me with all of the national events, but John Jay gives me hope that everything is going to be okay and that my education is not in jeopardy because of my service career. John Jay gives me the hope that if I put in the effort, if I’m resilient, they’ll get me to where I want to be in life.
