Andy McCarty

Founder of Northeastern University’s Dolce Center for the Advancement of Veterans & Service Members (CAVS)

Podcast Episode Release Date:

22 December

Beyond the Article: Hear the full exclusive interview with Andy McCarty, Founder of Northeastern University’s Dolce Center for the Advancement of Veterans and Service Members (CAVS), on the VCEO Podcast on forging a new path after military service.

The Myth of 'Going Home': Why Northeastern's Gold Standard for Veteran Transition Started with a Single Hire

You Can Never Go Home Again

The Myth of the Smooth Return

When Andy McCarty transitioned out of the Air Force and back into civilian life, he expected his journey to be smooth. "I'd only been in for four years. I wasn't in combat," he recalls, explaining his expectation to simply "put back on the old clothes and... old skin" and return to normal.

Instead, he discovered a fundamental truth about life after service. "You can never go home again," McCarty says, recalling the sudden realization that his home of record had continued to change while he was away, and all of his relationships had shifted. Perhaps most significant was the realization that he himself had changed during his time in the military. The person coming back “home” was fundamentally different from the person who left.

Andy learned that he had to let go of the "longing for going back to exactly the way things were before" and accept that moving forward meant building a new sense of belonging in a world that had continued to change in his absence.

The New Path Forged Through Service

The challenge of finding a new home after the Air Force led Andy to the idea of service itself. He knew that he liked helping other people, and that became part of the foundation he would build his new life on.

Andy’s first job after the Air Force was with Paramount Pictures. He notes that one of the things that helped him land the role was his prior habit of volunteering at Paramount events before he separated, which allowed him to network with people who would eventually become his colleagues. Once hired full-time, perhaps through a stroke of serendipity, his primary responsibilities were to oversee all of the studio's volunteer activities. This role allowed him to work closely with several Nonprofit organizations, which became a vital part of his professional background as he built his new career.

Andy eventually decided that he wanted to move back to Boston, but upon returning, his career transition faced another snag. He sought roles with the Nonprofit organizations he had collaborated with, but was often blocked by institutional requirements. "What I found was that the pay wasn't very good," Andy recalls, "and two, even though the pay wasn't very good, they required in many cases a master's degree."  He decided to pivot to higher education and found his way to Northeastern University, landing a role in financial aid.

It was at Northeastern University that his Veteran identity finally became a core asset.

You Can Never Go Home, But You Can Build A New One

For Service Members considering getting out of the military, McCarty’s advice is straightforward: start planning early, ideally two years, if possible, before transitioning. He encourages researching schools, connecting with Student Veteran Organizations to learn about their experiences as Veteran Students.

For Veterans who have already been out of the military and are considering going back to school but may feel like it is too late Andy gives these remarks: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago… the next best time is right now.” 

Reflecting on his personal journey, the one that took him from Paramount Pictures, to supporting Nonprofits, and then to founding a national gold standard in student Veteran support, Andy acknowledged the enduring truth of his initial realization. You can't undo your military experience, and you can never go home again. But that isn't a limitation; it's a launchpad for the person you've become. “You can’t undo your military experience,” he said. “But you can find new community, new relationships, and a new sense of home.” 

The Value of Hiring a Veteran: The Birth of the Center for the Advancement of Veterans and Service Members (CAVS)

The discovery of McCarty's Veteran status coincided with the university's push to become a Yellow Ribbon School, a program where institutions partner with the VA to cover tuition costs not fully met by the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Recognizing the immediate need for a robust support structure, Andy pushed for the creation of a Student Veteran Organization (SVO). His goal was to ensure the university took a methodical approach to meet actual Veteran and Service Member student needs, not just administrative assumptions.

"We took the approach of saying, 'What are the problems that are facing our Veterans that are unique to this population?'" Andy explains. "And then we tried to go and meet them." This on-the-ground, needs-based focus on community building and problem-solving provided the proof of concept.

It was through this successful SVO and the Yellow Ribbon initiative that Northeastern fully discovered the tremendous asset they had in the Veteran they had already hired. McCarty’s deep, firsthand understanding of the transition was fundamental in laying the groundwork for what would become a gold standard for Veterans going to school after service.

In 2015, Northeastern formalized this commitment, consolidating all Veteran resources into one place: the Dolce Center for the Advancement of Veterans and Servicemembers (CAVS). CAVS was built on three core pillars designed to address every facet of the Veteran transition:

  1. Concierge Services: CAVS acts as a one-stop-shop that simplifies access to university resources and benefits for prospective students, current students, alumni, and employers interested in hiring Veterans.

  2. Financial Stability: Northeastern’s Yellow Ribbon Program is among the most generous in the country, covering over 200 programs for eligible Veterans, with CAVS providing additional scholarships and grants to fill remaining gaps.

  3. Career Support: CAVS leverages Northeastern’s renowned co-op program, giving Veterans the opportunity to complete up to three co-op terms with top employers—from Goldman Sachs to Raytheon and even the White House—to gain essential real-world civilian work experience before graduation.

Beyond these tangible pillars, Andy says that CAVS’s success is cornerstoned in community. “By creating that community and giving them a place where they can gather and talk, we’ve seen huge wins for our students,” he said. These successes include the introduction of the Patriot Scholar Program and the cultivation of a supportive alumni network, ensuring Veterans continue to have the support of CAVS even after graduation.