Marines turn military training into Palomar College credits

CAMP PENDLETON – After 18 years and six tours with the Marine Corps, Gunnery Sgt. Ricardo Candelario has ample experience in uniform.

But it wasn’t until Palomar College introduced its Military Leadership Apprenticeship program at Camp Pendleton that he began considering higher education as a key to his future, in the Corps and afterward.

Now Candelario, 35, says he’s on track to complete his associate degree and pursue his bachelor’s – even though the thought of college wasn’t previously on his radar.

“I feel grateful that the college is making this happen,” he told Palomar News. “I was not g...