Vote now for Marvin Carr for 2025 Veteran of the Year, he has more than earned it
By Anelia K. Dimitrova
Marvin Carr has earned his stripes the hard way.
When the Navy veteran walked across the stage at the commencement ceremony at the McLeod Center in May, he had fulfilled one of his dreams and one of his missions.
The dream was to earn a university degree, so at the age of 47, he had done just that, becoming a valued member of UNI’s Class of 2025. He has now made family history as the first Carr to graduate from college.
The mission was to make a difference–as a leader of student veterans on campus and as a teacher of history and government.
Put otherwise, Marvin wanted to serve his future students just like he had served his fellow veterans during his two short years at UNI.
While on campus, Marvin had amplified his impact by taking a leadership role with UNI Veterans Association, among many other noble causes. His work had earned him several local and state recognitions, and now he is in the running for a national honor as the 2025 Veteran of the Year in Higher Education.
His work on campus and the events of his life that shaped it, make a compelling case for this recognition, but you can also help by now voting for him here as the vote closes at the end of the day on July 4.
A fourth-generat-tion military man, Marvin hopes to motivate others to seek betterment
A fourth-generation serviceman, Marvin comes from a line of men who have served their country.
His great-grandfather, R. J. Carr, served in WWI; his grandfather, Ernest, whom he had never met but whose middle name he bears, served in WWII; and his father, Edward, who passed away on June 19, 2025, at the age of 76, volunteered to serve in Vietnam at the age of 17, so his parents had sign a waiver.
Motivated by the legacy of his family, Marvin hopes his work and his life choices would motivate others, especially veterans, to pursue continued betterment, including a college career.
As president of UNI Veterans Association, he worked hard to ensure that the presence and the activities of the organization would continue to educate the campus community about the importance of service and expand awareness about the sacrifices and hardships veterans encounter as they adjust to civilian life.
At 22, Marvin was injured on the ship where he served as a culinary specialist, and as a result, he suffered temporary paralysis from the waist down. Eventually, he was able to regain his mobility, but pain has remained his unwelcome companion since.
When his kids graduated from high school, with the encouragement of his family and friends, Marvin enrolled at UNI.
He had had “a couple of great teachers,” including his middle-school teacher in Webster City, Ann Kness, a UNI alumna.
Taking stock of his life later on, Marvin saw the positive impact the encouraging teachers had had on his life, so he aspired to emulate them and help mentor kids who find themselves at difficult crossroads at a vulnerable age.
“I wanted to be that type of person that would be that kind of life-changer,” he said.
In fact, Marvin got a taste of teaching as a paraeducator at his former high school and at the elementary and middle school levels and that experience confirmed his plan to pursue a teaching degree.
He picked history and government as areas he would like to specialize in as these subjects aligned with his interests and family history.
In the fall, Marvin will start his student teaching experience in Iowa Falls and that will be the last step to earning his diploma.
That will mark the completion of his accomplishment and open a new chapter in his life.
But, he admits, it will also come with a bit of nostalgia, a reminder that his years at UNI have come to an end.
Marvin felt a tinge of these mixed emotions as he waited in line for the commencement ceremony to start.
“Knowing that being the first person in my family that is gonna be receiving a bachelor’s degree at the university, one that I never dreamed about ever doing, but also thinking of all the friendships I made, along with my fellow veterans and the students,” he said.
The degree is the culmination of the concerted efforts by Marvin and his supporters to reach his goal. Cheering him on in the audience during commencement were his wife, Stephanie, their daughter, Allison, her boyfriend, Ivan, and Marvin’s longtime best friend Shane Brown. They were so excited to be a part of this moment that no one remembered to take a family photo with Marvin in his cap and gown before or after the ceremony.
It is fitting that a university photographer happened to capture the special occasion.
“A big old picture of me took off on social media,” Marvin said.
What made graduation especially memorable, he added, was a hug he got from UNI President Mark Nook on stage.
“Mr. Nook asked all student veterans to stand so with all my veterans gear on I stood up,” he said. “Then, when I was called up to the stage– Mr. Nook and I had a pretty good relationship throughout the two years and so when I got up there–both had a great big smile and we gave each other a great big hug.”
But there was more bittersweetness to come from the graduation ceremony, although Marvin couldn’t have know it at the time.
His father passed away four weeks after the commencement.
“I was fortunate that he was still around when I did graduate.
“In not so many words, he was proud,” Marvin said of his father’s reaction. “He was not one to show emotion, He was a quiet guy, but we showed him the pictures.
“I was very fortunate that I was the last one that was able to take him to the hospital and be there before he passed.”
Leading UNI Veterans Association
In his two years at UNI, Marvin rolled up his sleeves to raise the profile of the campus veterans association. Under his leadership, in the fall, the association, which is a chapter of the national organization Student Veterans of America, hosted a Veterans Night Out walk, intended to shine light on PTSD. Another initiative he spearheaded in the spring was a conference that focused on suicide prevention, which, he estimated, brought together about 250 veterans from around the state.
Marvin had learned all the skills needed to do this work while attending a regional summit in St. Louis earlier, and at a weeklong leadership course in Washington, D.C.
“I learned a lot, how to network and made a lot of new friendships,” he said.
For his leadership and efforts, in 2024, he was awarded the Presidential Volunteer Service Award.
In 2025, he was recognized in a ceremony hosted by MercyOne called Heroes Among US for his contributions as the president of the campus veterans association and as a member of CATS (Connecting Alumni to Students), as well as being the sergeant-at-arms during the Iowa High School Model United Nations conference on campus. Away from campus, he is the commander of The American Legion Post 0130 in Fort Dodge and the lead city counselor of the The American Legion of Iowa Boys State.
He tirelessly advocates for the campus veterans organization, which he said, has now grown to about 65 members.
“Our student veterans and students want to be part of something great,” he said. “The veterans association is open to everyone, not just veterans themselves.”
What he learned along the way
As a future teacher, Marvin loves to dive into the wisdom of learning. He finds lived lessons especially worthwhile teaching.
“Life throws a lot of different curveballs at you,” he said. “I would say, swing for the fences, but even at 45, you’re still young enough to where you can make a career change and find something that you have another passion for.
“I’d say just go back to school and further your education and see what’s out there because technology is changing the world, that’s one huge part of it.”