06/12/2025 | News release | Distributed by Public on 06/12/2025 12:36
Julie Esty was terrified of going to college.
As she was getting ready to graduate high school, Esty - a New Jersey native - had no idea what to do next. It was difficult for her to focus on her future when she was struggling at the time with her mental health and a difficult home life.
"Growing up, I was often told I would never amount to anything. People were always putting me down," she said. "A lot of the people I hung out with at the time were ending up in jail, so it felt like my choices were either scary college or end up in jail. I ran away from all of it and joined the military. For me, that was the easy path. I was that scared of college."
Esty joined the U.S. Army in 2010 at age 17 and served for seven years, after which she returned to civilian life in New Jersey. Seeking a fresh start, Esty decided to leave her home state and move to California. She chose to live in Bakersfield because of its affordability.
After spending a few years working at various part-time jobs, Esty realized she wasn't fulfilling her potential and needed to make a change.
"I got upset one night that I was going nowhere in life, that I needed to do something," she said.
Esty decided it was finally the right time for her to give college a shot and looked into attending California State University, Bakersfield. She was able to talk with Veterans Success Center Coordinator Jamie Pacheco about the university and visit campus for a tour.
"CSUB is an inviting place. The campus is so welcoming," she said. "I just already felt like I was supposed to be here."
Esty eventually decided to apply to CSUB and started her higher education journey in 2020.
"It took me about a year to get motivated to attend, but I finally got the courage, did the paperwork and got in," she said. "It was the best decision I've made."
Esty graduated from CSUB this spring with bachelor's degrees in both psychology and criminal justice. For someone who didn't think college was in her future, it marked a major turning point in her life.
"It was thrilling. I didn't think I'd actually get here," Esty said. "When I joined the military, I thought that was going to be my life."Esty originally intended to just get a bachelor's in psychology, but she decided to turn her minor in criminal justice into a major. After meeting the requirements for her psychology degree, Esty spent an additional year at CSUB pursuing her second degree.
"The more I was in school, the more I was motivated to continue being in school," she said.
Now, Esty plans to pursue her master's in clinical psychology at Pacific University in Oregon this fall and hopes to one day get her Ph.D.
"I'm proud of Julie and happy to hear that the support she received through the Veterans Success Center helped her reach her educational goals," Pacheco said. "I wish her all the best as she continues on to pursue her master's degree."
Esty is looking to put her new degrees to use as a therapist working with juveniles in the prison system and helping them make better choices so they can become productive members of society.
"I want to be there for them and see if we can make a difference," she said. "When they act out, it's usually them asking for help."
Esty knows that from experience. She had behavioral issues as a youth and was ultimately diagnosed with bipolar disorder when she was 14 years old.
"It was a really hard struggle. My mother told me I was faking it. It took a few years to get onto medication," she said. "I realized that a lot of my childhood when I was acting up, the poor behaviors I had as a kid - if I had more of an understanding of what I was going through instead of being shamed for it, I could have thrived better and maybe had a better childhood. Today, as an adult, I'm succeeding because I'm on proper medication, proper therapy. I have all the tools that I need to thrive, but some of these kids don't."
Serving in the Army helped Esty learn how to better manage her emotions and exert more control over what she says.
"I learned a lot of military bearing. I had to learn that I was at the bottom of the totem pole," she said. "I could have my feelings. I just couldn't say them at the wrong moments. There's a time and place for everything. That was one of the greatest things I learned."