Thomas Simeone in Alaska, 2023.

When Thomas Simeone crosses the stage at Western Connecticut State University’s Commencement ceremony in May 2025, he will receive his second bachelor’s degree and begin the journey to a completely new career. Simeone, of Ridgefield, has about a dozen more years of life experiences than most of his classmates — many of which have taken him to exotic locales and high-stakes assignments — and he can’t wait to start his next chapter.

“After graduating from Ridgefield High School in 2010, I went to UConn and got a bachelor’s degree in history and communications, thinking I would end up becoming a history teacher,” Simeone said. “I ended up joining the Coast Guard in 2015, and attended boot camp in Cape May, New Jersey.” From there, Simeone embarked upon six years of adventures that took him to Portland, Maine, where he worked in maritime law enforcement checking lobster boats and fishing vessels for violations and doing search and rescue operations for vessels in distress during storms. “Those were wild times getting rocked around on the North Atlantic,” Simeone recalled.

Thomas Simeone as Cover Officer at the 2018 Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Simeone next attended Maritime Enforcement Specialist “A” School in Virginia, where he trained to be a machinery technician, and soon found himself stationed in Long Beach, California, where his duties included countering illegal activities sea. As part of the Coast Guard’s Maritime Safety and Security LA/LB Team, Simeone actively protected port infrastructure. “I was in Puerto Rico providing hurricane relief in 2017,” Simeone said. “I was in a joint operation with Australia to protect heads of state in Papua New Guinea in the Pacific Islands. In 2018, I worked with canine units at the Super Bowl in Minneapolis to sweep the conference center and other facilities to protect participants, celebrities and members of the public. I also worked in Valdez, Alaska, providing oil tanker escorts, and saved about 20 people on a sinking houseboat in Lake Powell, California.”

After six years of seeing and providing service to the world, Simeone retired from the Coast Guard in 2021 and was ready to start his next career. “I had already been trained as an EMT/First Responder by the Coast Guard, I got certified as an EMT at Danbury Hospital, and I decided to take the next step and get a nursing degree so I can work in an Emergency Department,” he said.

Simeone enrolled in WestConn’s Nursing program. “WestConn has a great nursing program with a great hospital nearby close to where I grew up, so it was an easy choice for me,” Simeone said. “Im glad i chose it because of all these wonderful things that it has allowed me to do.” Once on campus, Simeone became active in the Student Veteran Organization (SVO), as an on-air personality on the campus radio station, WXCI and as a member of the Student Nurses Association. Simeone serves as secretary for both the SVO and WXCI, and is known as DJ Regalia on his radio show that features music from the ’80s and ’90s and “fun banter with guests.” Simeone said that one of his favorite things on campus is the radio station, which has been student-run for 50 years. He has also attained Dean’s List every semester.

“It’s interesting being older than some of my classmates and having some life experience, it gives me a different perspective,” Simeone said. “The military allowed me to become independent and see the world. Now that I’m at WestConn, the people I have met here have been great and I’ve made lifelong friends. The small campus, small class sizes and great faculty — it just works. It’s a great school that offers a lot and it’s not overwhelming. I’m getting a quality education.”

Currently a patient care technician at Danbury Hospital, Simeone’s goal is to work in the Emergency Department or post-surgical unit at a local hospital. As he anticipates his graduation, he said, “I’m looking forward to taking the NCLEX exam so I can start practicing my craft.”

Western Connecticut State University changes lives by providing all students with a high-quality education that fosters their growth as individuals, scholars, professionals and leaders in a global society. Our vision: To be widely recognized as a premier public university with outstanding teachers and scholars who prepare students to contribute to the world in a meaningful way.