Benjamin Courter, an active-duty service member in the U.S. Marine Corps, will graduate in fall 2021 with a degree in recreation, park, and tourism management, and will serve as the college marshal for the College of Health and Human Development at Penn State’s fall commencement ceremony on Dec. 18.
Courter attended Penn State as part of the Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program (MECEP), which supports a university education for enlisted service members at schools with a Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) program.
Courter will return to active duty after graduation, and when he completes his military service, he plans to pursue a career in park management.
“One thing I really enjoy about military service is being outdoors and active. I love hiking, hunting, and fishing, and I think that enjoyment from being active is something that will easily translate to a career in park management,” said Courter, who plans to continue government service in parks management after his military service.
Courter initially thought he would pursue the PGA Professional Golf Management option of the Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management degree program, but after discussing his interests with academic advisers, appreciated the added flexibility that the program’s community recreation management option affords for integrating educational credits from the military.
He still found a way to bring his education to the links through an internship with the Penn State Golf Courses, where he enjoyed interacting with people in the campus and State College communities.
“Penn State really has a community feel, and I got to see that at the golf courses,” Courter said, who sought out the MECEP program at Penn State because of the area's small-town feel. “You see the students representing Penn State in their gear, but so do their grandparents. It’s such a strong sense of community and connection.”
That sense of community was even more important to Courter, as his wife, Hillary, and their two children, Harper and Callie, moved to State College with him.
Hillary will graduate from Penn State alongside him this fall, earning her bachelor’s degree in communication sciences and disorders.
Balancing life as a full-time student, Marine Corps service member, and father brought new perspectives for Courter in the classroom.
“I always felt that I had something different to add to class discussions because I am a parent,” said Courter. “Even if you’re talking about consumer products in a business class, being a parent brings a whole different perspective on safety and user experience. It has been interesting to experience my education through that different lens.”
The Courter family is active in their community and neighborhood, enjoying Penn State football games and tailgates, parades, and “all the classic Penn State activities.” Although they will move to his next duty station after graduation, Courter said he could see them moving back to the State College area when he finishes his military service.
“Hillary and I are first-generation Penn Staters, but we would love to come back to this community and maybe pass that onto our children.”
Courter, son of Barbara and Douglas Courter of Clear Spring, Maryland, graduated from Clear Spring High School in 2008. He is the recipient of the 2020 President’s Freshman Award, the 2021 Evan Pugh Scholar Senior Award, the 2019 Jon and Judy Mills Trustee Scholarship, and the 2020 and 2021 Joanne F. Finegan and Dr. Eli DeHope Trustee Scholarship.