Yes, you absolutely can join the military while in college or law school — and one Harvard Law student did exactly that. Faith Jackson didn't just attend Harvard Law; he also worked at Boston Consulting Group, trained as an Army National Guard medic, and self-published a book on Amazon, all before the age of 26. His story answers a question a lot of ambitious students are quietly asking: how do you join the military while still pursuing an elite academic or professional career? The short answer is the National Guard's one-weekend-a-month structure makes it possible. The longer answer is far more inspiring.
Can You Join the Military While Still in School?
Faith's path into the military didn't come from a lifelong dream of enlisting — it came from a moment of clarity in a Harvard classroom. He was taking a course called Justice, taught by the famous political philosopher Michael Sandel. The class was debating whether citizens should be required to serve in the military. Sandel then asked everyone with military experience or immediate family in the military to raise their hands.
In a lecture hall that holds 800 people, only about five hands went up.
"I'm just thinking, all of these Harvard folks are going to go off to be like president or something, and no one is serving in the military," Faith recalled. That moment hit differently when he learned that during the World War era, Harvard sent more people to the military than any institution except West Point. The contrast was striking — and it pushed him to act.
The Army National Guard made joining while staying in school logistically feasible. The commitment structure — one weekend per month and two weeks during the summer — allowed Faith to train as a combat medic without abandoning his career or education. He completed six months of medic training and then returned to law school, all while keeping his consulting role at BCG.
How Much Does a BCG Summer Intern Actually Make?
Before the military chapter, Faith landed at one of the most prestigious consulting firms in the world: Boston Consulting Group. He applied for a summer internship, didn't get it, but was offered a two-day program instead. One thing led to another, and he eventually spent a year and a half there as an associate before returning to Harvard Law.
If you've ever wondered what elite consulting pays at the entry level, Faith gave a rare, honest answer: the starting associate or summer associate salary at BCG is approximately $75,000 to $80,000 per year. For a college student or recent grad, that number is eye-opening. Faith himself noted that many people — including himself before college — simply don't realize how much money is on the table in fields like consulting, tech, or engineering.
The consulting world is competitive, but it's not exclusively for engineers or coders. Faith's background was in public interest and law, and he still made it to BCG. His experience is a reminder that firms like BCG are looking for sharp analytical thinkers and communicators, not just technical specialists.
What Is the Army National Guard One Weekend a Month Option?
The National Guard's part-time service model is one of the least-talked-about options for people who want to serve their country without committing to full-time active duty. The structure is simple: one weekend per month, plus two weeks during the summer. That's the baseline commitment.
For Faith, this was the bridge between his private-sector ambitions and his desire to do something meaningful for the public. Being a National Guard medic meant he could be deployed to Afghanistan — or he could be activated domestically during a snowstorm to help transport injured civilians. Both outcomes are real, and both happened to people in his unit.
Most recently, Faith was activated during the COVID-19 pandemic. While taking Harvard Law classes online during the spring semester, he was simultaneously working at COVID testing sites and taking temperatures at the Maryland State House. It's the kind of dual-track reality that most people wouldn't believe was possible — but the National Guard structure makes it happen.
Why Don't Elite University Students Join the Military?
The five-hands-in-a-lecture-hall moment is worth sitting with. Harvard, Yale, Princeton — these schools produce presidents, senators, CEOs, and Supreme Court justices. They also produce remarkably few military officers or enlisted service members, at least compared to their historical legacy.
Faith's observation cuts to a real cultural shift. In the World War II era, Harvard graduates enlisted in droves. Today, the elite university pipeline flows almost exclusively into finance, consulting, tech, law, and politics. The reasons are complex — military service isn't glamorized in those social circles, the financial return isn't immediately obvious, and the culture of individual achievement doesn't always align with the collective mission of military service.
But Faith's story challenges that narrative. He didn't have to choose between Harvard Law and the Army. He chose both — and found that the combination made him a more grounded, purpose-driven person than either path alone would have.
How Did a Harvard Student Self-Publish a Book on Amazon?
On top of everything else, Faith published a book. It's titled Veritas: Diary of a Broke Black Harvard Student, and it's available on Amazon. The book is a collection of essays, letters, and personal reflections documenting his Harvard experience in real time.
The content ranges from deeply personal — including the letter he wrote to Harvard asking them not to put him on academic leave (a request that was ultimately denied) — to intellectually provocative. One essay compared the Trump electorate to the fictional coal district in The Hunger Games, examining how communities that voted for Obama later shifted to Trump and what that says about hope, economic despair, and political identity.
The book also includes all of his college admissions essays, making it a practical resource for anyone applying to elite universities. But the publishing story itself is instructive. Rather than waiting for a traditional publisher, Faith used Amazon's self-publishing platform to get the book out — a decision that also inspired his mother, Jennifer Jackson, to finally publish her own book, Educating a Diverse Multicultural Society, after working on it for ten years.
His approach to publishing mirrors his approach to everything else: if the traditional door is closed, find another way in.
How Do You Balance a Private Sector Career With Public Service?
Faith's story is ultimately about refusing to accept false choices. The conventional wisdom says you pick a lane: you either pursue wealth and status in the private sector, or you sacrifice income for public service. Faith rejected that framing entirely.
His formula was specific: use the National Guard's part-time structure to stay connected to public service while building a private-sector career at BCG. Use Harvard Law to develop the intellectual and legal tools to have broader impact later. Use a self-published book to share his experience and open doors for others who don't see themselves in the typical Harvard student narrative.
The throughline in all of it is intentionality. Faith didn't drift into any of these experiences. He was inspired by his brother's military service, moved by a classroom debate, energized by the 2016 election, and determined to find a path that honored all of his values at once — not just the ones that paid the most.
If you're a student wondering whether you can do more than one hard thing at a time, Faith Jackson's answer is clear: yes, and you probably should.
