Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego --
The
call to serve your country and desire to leave a legacy is something that not
even the highest salary can buy. It’s something that has to be earned, not
bought. It is only borne from a drive from within.
One
Marine decided to answer that call and leave his comfortable lifestyle making
six figures a year to join the Marine Corps so that he could protect and serve
the ones he loves.
Private First Class Aldrich C. Servilla, Echo Company, 2nd Recruit
Training Battalion, was born in San Francisco, but his life led down a much
different path than the big city.
When he was four years old, his parents divorced, and while
his mother stayed in San Francisco, Servilla moved to the Philippines to live with his
father.
He
adapted to his new life rather quickly by learning the Filipino language, making new friends and surrounding
himself with sports and other activities.
“The
Philippines is a very
colorful and tropical place,” said Servilla. “It was an amazing place to grow
up. The weather is always tropical, and there is great surfing along the coast.
I love being out in the ocean riding the waves and feeling free with no
worries.”
Although
Servilla enjoyed being carefree on a surfboard, he was strongly committed to
the books when it came to his education.
He
graduated from Reedley International School at 18 years old and then earned a
degree in social sciences from Ateneo De Manila University when he was 22.
Although he stayed busy with education, sports and surfing, he always made time
to visit his family in San Francisco.
“I
visited my mother, two sisters and brother once a year while I was in the
Philippines,” said Servilla. “Once I got my degree, it led me back to the
states, but not at first.”
He
started out as a stock broker for a small business on the island, and he always
continued to search for bigger and broader opportunities. When he felt he was
ready for more training, he attended London Business School to make his work
and education experiences more competitive. By the time he was 25 years old, he
moved back to the United States and began working for HC Global Fund Services
in San Francisco.
Although
Servilla was a very accomplished business man, he still felt the need to do
something bigger.
“I
wanted to accomplish something that would be my legacy,” said Servilla. “People
go to college and earn degrees every day. I wanted to do something very few
have achieved.”
At
28 years old, Servilla stepped inside of a Marine Corps recruiting office to
start a new journey.
“I
was a little nervous since my age is a lot higher than most people who attempt
to become a Marine,” said Servilla. “That wasn’t going to stop me though. I was
committed to the bigger picture as to what the Marine Corps stands for. Serving
my country is the legacy I want to leave behind.”
Servilla
took on the challenge of recruit training and has now earned the title Marine
and placed his name among the few and the proud.
“The
road to where I am at now wasn’t easy,” said Servilla. “I’m proud of all my
accomplishments, but I’ll never be more proud than the day I became a Marine.”
Now
that Servilla has completed recruit training, he will take on his next
challenge at Marine Combat Training at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. From
there, he will attend school to learn about his new occupation as a landing
support specialist.
Servilla will be a Reserve Marine and plans to go back to college
in San Francisco to earn his master’s degree in business administration. After
completing his MBA, he plans to take on yet another challenge by applying for
Officer Candidate School to become an officer in the Marine Corps.
“Today is a good day to be a Marine,” said Servilla. “It feels good to be where I’m at in life
right now, and I plan on continuously making myself a well-rounded person. I
look forward to my time in the Corps.