Marching Forward Alum Pursues Life of Purpose with Army

Lee Park ‘22 marched into a career soon after graduating from Westmont and being commissioned as a second lieutenant. Participating in Army ROTC as a student first at Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) and then at Westmont led to his position as an assistant operations officer in an Army Combat Sustainment Support Battalion at Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, Washington. He’s also pursuing a master’s degree in supply-chain management and logistics through Georgetown University. Previously, he led in a Forward Support Company assisting U.S. Central Command and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

During his student years, Park served in UC Santa Barbara’s ROTC Surfrider Battalion while working full-time at downtown restaurants as a server, assistant cook and later as a kitchen manager.

“That season of life was busy, but it was also formative,” he says. “Some of my best memories are early morning physical training sessions with the Surfriders and trail running in the Santa Barbara area. It gave me grit, perspective and a hunger to pursue a calling to military service.”

Park plans to pursue an active-duty Army career. He pins on captain in May 2026 and expects that his master’s degree in logistics will help him advance. “I’m interested in supply-chain management and business/finance in the Army as well as international development,” he says. “I aspire to keep working for the benefit of the country, such as contributing to research making Army supply chains more efficient or seeking great logistics solutions to large-scale combat operations. If I later go into the private sector, I’d pursue operations management or logistics.”

Park lived in Santa Barbara from fourth grade through most of high school and admired his father’s service with the Navy and ROTC at Cornell University. His grandfather, an immigrant on scholarship, built a career with the State Department and Department of Defense. Park’s mother, Alice Scharper Perez, worked as the dean of Educational Programs at SBCC, and now works for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department.

When Westmont invited potential transfer students to campus for a tour, he felt a clear pull. “God was directing me there,” he says. “I grew up with a strong faith, thanks to my mom. She always says she wants me to have a home base in Christ and in God.

“I knew Westmont was beautiful and had a strong academic reputation, but the community, the faith-driven mission and the scholarship opportunities struck me most,” he says. “My Army scholarship covered tuition and Westmont generously provided my room and board. It was a gift — truly the merging of calling, opportunity and grace.”

A political science major, Park praises professors Jesse Covington, Katherine Bryant and Tom Knecht. “Their wisdom and faith deeply shaped how I think about leadership, global affairs and servant-oriented decision-making,” he says. “I loved courses in international politics, political theory and international development — all of which I now see reflected in my work as an Army officer.”

Park says Westmont gave him the space to grow intellectually, spiritually and personally. He also met his wife there, Veronica Nguyen Park ’22, a fellow political science major. “Westmont grounded me in faith and equipped me for a life of purpose. I’m grateful beyond words,” he says.