CHICAGO (WLS) — Greg Sanchez was 19 when he signed up for boot camp at the Naval Station Great Lakes.

Although he cherished his time serving the nation, he admits that adjusting to civilian life posed challenges. This experience drives him to instruct fellow veterans on how to rebuild their lives.

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“My dad grew up very impoverished. He left Mexico at 14 years old,” Sanchez said. “To him, it was just a matter of having a better life.”

Sanchez, a Navy veteran and the son of an immigrant, is now working to create that better life for his fellow veterans.

“In the military, you deploy together, you train together, you eat next to each other,” Sanchez said.

But his time after service wasn’t easy.

“A decade after leaving the military, I felt disconnected. The camaraderie was missing, which led me to difficult times, relying on substances,” Sanchez explained.

Following two 9/11 deployments, Sanchez found himself in a downward spiral but ended up in veterans treatment court, a specialized jurisdiction designed to aid arrested veterans.

“That experience was truly life-saving for me,” Sanchez acknowledged. “It sparked my interest in pursuing higher education and motivated me to advocate for struggling veterans.”

Currently, he serves as the assistant director for the Office for Military-Affiliated Communities at the University of Chicago. This academic initiative aims to provide veterans with tailored connections and opportunities.

“Serving in the military was a chance to give back to a country that offered my family and parents incredible opportunities,” Sanchez stated.

Sanchez leads the university’s restorative justice work, working with veterans who have committed crimes, usually stemming from unaddressed military-related trauma.

A 2023 study published by the National Library of Medicine surveyed nearly 2,500 veterans. It found that 38% suffered from a common mental health disorder, including but not limited to depression, alcohol misuse and anxiety.

“It’s important for us to understand, you know, take the time to hit pause on life and think from the perspective of the other,” Sanchez said.

With more than 450 military-affiliated students on campus, that is the model he works to establish. Once a veteran facing the justice system, he is now the visionary honored as the 2025 Illinois veteran of the year.

“We can’t receive unless we give service first,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez says he works with those 450 student veterans as a mentor and advocates to help them complete their degrees on campus.