Veteran finds second purpose in Psychology and mentorship

After dedicating 20 years to the Marine Corps, retired Chief Warrant Officer 2 Baldemar Pardo is now embarking on a new mission at South Texas College.

Inspired by the care he received during his own struggles with military life and beyond, Pardo is now pursuing an associate degree in Psychology with the goal of mentoring others, determined to guide the next generation through their own challenges.

“I was initially interested in psychology to support fellow veterans like myself, who had experienced trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD),” he explained. “But once I found myself surrounded by younger classmates at STC, I discovered a new joy in sharing my experiences with them and guiding them.”

Pardo, 44, a native of McAllen and raised in Reynosa until middle school, initially dreamed of becoming an architect. However, those aspirations were put on hold when his parents divorced and his mother was diagnosed with cancer.

After her recovery, Pardo worked a variety of customer service and retail jobs. It was watching a close friend transform through his military service that inspired Pardo to join the Marine Corps, where he found new confidence and purpose.

“I was lost, didn’t really know what my path was anymore. But when I saw my friend, the way he carried himself, his confidence, I knew I wanted to be like him,” he shared.  “At the time, I had spent most of my life in Mexico, still learning English and adjusting to a new country, but seeing him gave me a sense of direction. This was also just two years after the events of 9/11, which also influenced my decision. I wanted to be part of something bigger, to contribute in my own way.”

At 22 years old, Pardo enlisted, beginning a 20-year career that would take him across the globe, serving in locations such as Japan, South Korea and Afghanistan.

Throughout his service, he earned numerous awards, including the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with two gold stars and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with a silver star.

“One of the most meaningful years of my career was my deployment to the Middle East in 2012,” Pardo shared. “Although I spent much of my career in administrative roles, I was always assigned to the infantry. That meant I had to learn and train alongside them, gaining firsthand experience in all aspects of combat.”

Pardo spent a year in Afghanistan, where his duties included recording casualties, compiling reports on fallen troops, verifying information before notifying families and reviewing investigations on lost weapons, injuries and collateral damage.

Shortly after that experience, in 2014, Pardo applied to the Warrant Officer Program, which he considered the peak of his career. However, it was also a time of profound personal loss when his best friend in the Marine Corps tragically took his own life.

“He was the first to take me under his wing when I started my military career. I admired him deeply, and his loss hit me hard,” he shared. “He was more than a friend—he was a brother. We understood each other like no one else. But we were trained to keep moving, so I pushed through without truly grieving.”

Experiencing the unaddressed ramifications of not mourning his friend’s loss, Pardo’s interest in counseling and psychology was ignited, an interest that would later come full circle when he was encouraged to adopt his service dog, Nala.

In 2019, after suffering a severe anxiety attack, Pardo began to shift his focus toward retirement, contemplating the next chapter of his life.

“Many veterans struggle with retirement because, for so long, their sense of purpose comes from leading, mentoring, and coaching. When all of that is suddenly taken away, it can be a real challenge,” he explained. “As my career came to a close, I met my wife, started a family and the dream of returning to school was still in the back of my mind.”

Pardo met his wife while stationed in California, and the two later decided to build their future together in the Rio Grande Valley. This past summer, they welcomed their son into their family, marking a new chapter in their lives.

“Now my focus is on my family, on building a career for them,” he said. “Being part of the Marines always made me proud because it’s the smallest branch, which makes it unique. I found a similar sentiment when I arrived at STC. Students here have a strong sense of belonging and wear their Jaguar shirts with confidence, which made me feel connected to the school.”

Pardo is set to graduate with an associate degree in Psychology in 2026 and plans to transfer to the St. Mary’s University in San Antonio to pursue both a bachelor’s and master’s degree, with the goal of eventually becoming a teacher.

“My instructors here have set the standard for the kind of teacher I want to be. I saw myself in them, and that inspired me to offer the same kind of service,” he added. “I’ve been through a lot of trauma — losing many friends in the war, my mom’s diagnosis, moving from Mexico, dealing with my parents’ divorce and always being on the move. At one point, I hit rock bottom and could have taken the same path my friend did, but now I like to think I’m being rewarded with my wife, my newborn and this new sense of purpose. I’m focused on the future.”