Change of heart gives political science graduate an optimistic outlook

When Ethan McKune graduated from high school in 2021, he wasn’t sure if college was for him. He enjoyed learning but didn’t love school, so he decided to enlist in the U.S. Army Reserve and explore a different route.

After returning home from his 10-month basic training assignment, McKune was still on the fence about higher education when he heard about the scholarships offered by the Army ROTC program at Central Washington University.

“I liked my unit and my job, and I figured I would just stay enlisted,” said McKune, who graduated from CWU last month with a degree in political science and a minor in military science. “But I also didn’t want to miss out on any potential career opportunities, and when I heard about all of the incentives CWU offered, I figured I would give it a try.”

McKune’s father, Ron, attended Central in the 1990s and encouraged him to take a closer look. He took his dad’s advice, and upon arriving on campus in the fall of 2022, he learned about additional incentives that would set him up for the future.

“I didn’t know I would be eligible for the military scholarships after I was already enrolled, but I decided to take a chance and apply,” he said. “I ended up doing pretty well in ROTC, and by the end of my sophomore year, they offered me a scholarship. That made a huge difference for the rest of my time there.”

After serving as a network administrator in the Army Reserve, McKune considered pursuing a degree in computer science or criminal justice. He was also intrigued by psychology and history, which led him to enroll in a political science class as part of his general education requirements.

As luck would have it, that discipline became his focus for the rest of his time at CWU — and, hopefully, his professional career.

“I really enjoyed my first poli sci class, and I found the professor and the subject matter to be super engaging,” McKune said. “That got me thinking about the possibility of working for a political candidate or organization, or maybe as a campaign strategist. I could see myself working at the grassroots level, talking to constituents and learning about what matters to them.”

With his degree in hand, he is entertaining a variety of options to build experience. He was recently hired as a corrections officer with the Washington Department of Corrections and is scheduled to begin working in August. He’s hoping that opportunity will help him gain an inside perspective about the state’s prison system.

“I’m not sure how long I will work as a corrections officer, but I’m sure I will learn a lot,” he said. “My hope is that I may be able to use what I learn to lobby for prison reform someday.”

In the meantime, McKune plans to continue building his professional network while serving in his Army Reserve role, which includes a seven-month basic officer training in early 2027. He and his girlfriend, Ryan Hyatt (’24), are also saving up to buy a house in the Puget Sound area.

When McKune thinks about where he is today, and the bright future he has created for himself, he thinks about the uncertainty he felt just a few short years ago.

As he learned firsthand, college isn’t the only direction you can go after high school, but it remains the best way to set yourself up for a lucrative, meaningful career.

“I wasn’t a huge fan of school, but going to CWU really broadened my horizons,” McKune said. “The difference between college and high school is profound because you have the freedom to study what you want to and you get to make all your own decisions. It can be hard to see that reality when you’re in high school, but my advice to anyone who is on the fence would be to just go for it. You won’t regret it.”