Outstanding Graduate John Carreon, Veteran, Forges Path as Mental Health Reform Advocate
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Following 16 years of combined military service in the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, John Carreon ’21, is set to walk the stage alongside his peers during the Fall 2021 Commencement Ceremony as the Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi College of Liberal Arts Outstanding Graduate. The designation is sponsored by the TAMU-CC Office of the Provost.
“I was the man of the house by age 8. Because I was raised by a single mom, I never really thought about college because I knew my family couldn’t afford it,” Carreon said. “I knew the military was my only option to pursue my higher education.”
The San Antonio native joined the U.S. Navy in 1997 as a construction electrician and served seven tours overseas while training to become a military police officer. In 2007, Carreon made the transition to the U.S. Coast Guard as a gunner’s mate (weapons instructor) before becoming a Maritime Enforcement Specialist. In 2013, while stationed in Virginia, he suffered a career-ending electrocution injury that led to his retirement. Struggling both physically and psychologically after being diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Carreon nevertheless managed to begin the next chapter of his life – his college education.
“After the accident, I needed bilateral reconstruction of both shoulders, clavicles, humerus, and scapulae. I was in physical therapy for four years and saw a neurosurgeon for three years. I was also suffering from a bad case of dyslexia, which I never had before the injury. I thought for sure my chances of going to college was over,” Carreon said. “But I was a hero to my son, and I didn’t want him to see his dad defeated. I wanted to show my son that life will knock you down but it’s up to you to get back up.”
Carreon earned an Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts in 2017 from San Antonio Junior College. It was there that he met a TAMU-CC recruiter who invited him to Corpus Christi to take a tour of the Island University.
“After my visit to campus during Island Day, I fell in love,” Carreon said. “I knew instantly that there was no other choice for me but here on this Island. I knew both then and now that this was my home – I’m an Islander Forever.”
Carreon, who is earning a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, says his passion for mental health reform in underserved populations, specifically prisons, motivated him to gain a better understanding of the criminal justice system.
“There are so many individuals within our prison systems who suffer from mental health issues,” Carreon said. “I think that if we do our best to educate ourselves about the system, and how it works, then educate ourselves on the aspects of mental health, we can help identify what causes these issues and create solutions – especially for our veterans.”
Carreon, who is planning to continue his education by pursuing a master’s degree in functional counseling and a doctoral degree in counselor education, says he’s looking no further than his alma mater for the next step in his scholarly journey.
“I want to be able to further my career as far as possible and being accepted to a graduate program here at TAMU-CC is the next first step,” Carreon said. “I plan to eventually work at the Veterans Affairs Office to provide much-needed help for my brothers and sisters of the armed forces. I also want to work in local prisons to help inmates cope with life in prison and hopefully start some programs that are needed for better rehabilitation. Lastly, I want to one day write books and start my own mental health practice.”
Carreon says mentor Dr. Lon Seiger, TAMU-CC Professor of Kinesiology, helped him find a path to peace and success during his time as an Islander through various courses focusing on mental wellness.
“John has a brilliant mind and a loving heart; he’s truly a very generous person,” Seiger said. “I’ve had the honor of having him as a student on three different occasions and I’ve learned just as much from him as he has in my classes. He’s a very strong person.”
As a non-traditional student and military veteran, Carreon feels it is an honor to show his fellow Islanders that anything is possible with hard work and dedication.
“I feel like a father figure to most of my younger classmates,” he said. “They know they can come to me if they need help or have questions and if I don’t have an answer, I always show them where they can get help on campus.”
Along with giving credit to Seiger and others in the campus community, Carreon says his biggest supporters have always been his wife Rhea Carreon, and his son Brandon Logan Gunner Carreon ’25, a TAMU-CC biomedical sciences major who hopes to be a veterinarian.
“I’m really proud of my dad in all he’s achieved, after all the hurdles he’s been through,” Brandon said. “He’s been working so hard, and he motivated me to never give up on myself. He’s my motivating force to do good, and I hope he sees that.”
Outstanding Graduate John Carreon, Veteran, Forges Path as Mental Health Reform Advocate
Following 16 years of combined military service in the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, John Carreon ’21, walked the stage alongside his peers during the Fall 2021 Commencement Ceremony as the Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi College of Liberal Arts Outstanding Graduate. The designation is sponsored by the TAMU-CC Office of the Provost.
