ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- A recent graduate of Piedmont Virginia Community College has been able to acclimate to college studies by being part of the Virginia National Guard and a nonprofit.

Johnson Li joined the national guard right after graduating from high school. After speaking to his recruiter, he knew the National Guard was the right path.

“For National Guard, you only show up to drill one weekend per month, which gives you the flexibility to attend college,” said Li.

He says it's important to him to get an education. 

Since joining the national guard, Li has been able to get an associate's degree from PVCC.

Last year, Li was introduced to a nonprofit called Warrior-Scholar Project. After applying to the program, he was accepted to study at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Li says he had never heard of Warrior-Scholar Project but it has given him so many opportunities. Now he wants everyone to know about the nonprofit.

“I feel like they’re always growing and growing. They’re improving veterans' and military students’ lives. Especially for those wanting to continue higher education,” said Li.

The opportunities with Warrior-Scholar Project are endless.

“This summer, I’m actually going to Warrior-Scholar Project. Another boot camp on business actually at the University of Southern California for one week,” Li shared.

This will help him reach his goal of getting an undergraduate degree in Chinese language and literature, and leave with less debt.

“In the future, I wanted to be a high school teacher that teaches Chinese language and literature to students,” said Li.

He encourages all veterans or anyone currently in the military to take advantage of this opportunity to become more educated.

For more information about the Warrior-Scholar Project visit Warrior-Scholar.org.