Ryan Peters - Graduate

After a medical discharge ended his Marine Corps career, Ryan Peters looked for new ways to serve.  “I didn’t feel like my service to my country was done,” Peters, says. “I knew that there were other avenues I could pursue.” He couldn’t have imagined that path would lead to a staff job with one of the most powerful members of Congress.

After finishing a two-year fellowship with the Wounded Warrior Program (WWP), Peters recently accepted a full-time job with the office of Rep. Darrell Issa of California, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

More than two years ago, when Peters learned about WWP at the American Legion National Conference in Phoenix, he knew he had found his pathway. As a Veterans Service Specialist working for Issa, Peters has worked extensively with wounded soldiers and Marines at nearby Camp Pendleton.

Being able to help other veterans navigate red tape and secure the benefits they deserve is fulfilling work for Peters. “The last two years have been the greatest experience of my life.” Peters says of his fellowship. 

The experience opened Peters’s eyes to the scope of challenges veterans face, while revealing a possible career path. “I didn’t really know what I wanted to do when I got out of the military,” he says. “Now, I’m in this for the long haul.”

As a full-time staff member with Issa, Peters intends to continue helping veterans like him find housing, healthcare, and jobs. His mission to help people extends beyond his career. He has participated in Push America’s, Journey of Hope bike ride to help raises money to build ramps, fund camps and provide wheelchairs for people with disabilities. Through his efforts Peters raised more than $6,000.

“I understand there are a lot of people who are worse off than I am,” Peters says. “If there is anything I can do to help, I will.”