For the first time since the days of the Vietnam War, a Marine has earned his commission at the prestigious Columbia University.

Second Lt. Patrick Poorbaugh, 28, graduated from Columbia last month, leaving the school with a degree in political science. The former staff sergeant's successful transition into the service's officer corps marks the first of its kind since Columbia moved to restore ties with the Navy Department in 2011.

Like many elite, private universities and colleges, Columbia ended its Navy ROTC program in 1970 in opposition to the conflict in Vietnam. Officials at Harvard and Yale universities took similar stances.

But minds have changed since the lifting of the controversial "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Private campuses across the country are welcoming back ROTC programs.

A North Carolina National Guard Soldier, assigned to the 505th Engineer Battalion, looks at the finished temporary dam created by the engineers and other civilian counterparts, after severe flooding damaged a canal in Columbia, S.C., Oct. 14, 2015. The NCNG has been ready to support the South Carolina Emergency Management Division and other state and federal partner agencies as South Carolina recovers from the effects of extended rain downfall, causing severe flooding throughout the state. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Brian Godette, 382nd Public Affairs Detachment/Released)

Though military and university officials celebrated his commissioning, Poorbaugh said joining the first group of NROTC students stood out as a more momentous occasion. Fellow Columbia alum Abigale Wyatt was commissioned as an ensign through the Navy's Seaman to Admiral-21 Program last year.

"I don't think it felt much different [for me] than for any other Marines commissioned at any other university," he said of the achievement and ceremony. "We knew that we were going to be the first group. That was kind of a big deal, but I didn't really think about being [the first] Marine until a couple months ago."

Poorbaugh and Wyatt represent a return, of sorts, to Columbia's heritage, Peter Awn, professor and dean of Columbia's School of General Studies, said.

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The School of General Studies was founded partially to accommodate returning veterans after World War II. The school is designed for nontraditional undergraduate students, and about a decade ago, Columbia officials ramped up efforts to recruit modern-day veterans, Awn said.

He believes that influx of vet s on campus led to the thawing of the university's relationship with the military.

"You have to realize that, for Ivy League students, it is rare that any of them have ever met someone in the military, much less had the opportunity to study with them in the same classroom," Awn said. "Students were fascinated with the military service that these really talented men and women had engaged with."

Both benefit from the exchange, Awn said. Veterans and active-duty troops bring diverse viewpoints and experiences to the classroom.

"You find that the relationships that are built between the 25- and 26-year-olds and the 19- to 20-year-olds Columbia undergraduates are really symbiotic," he said. "The 20-year-olds are dazzling intellects, but they're 20 years old. … They can really [draw] on the maturity of human experience."

Poorbaugh agrees with that assessment. If he was able to lend his experience — he deployed to Iraq twice with 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion — to the conversation, they helped teach him how to get through college, an environment very different from the Corps.

Time management and getting used to studying during his off-hours were skills he quickly had to master . His experience as a staff noncommissioned officer didn't hurt either, Poorbaugh said.

"The workload outside of class was strenuous — it was tough. For me, it was just keeping track of the nonstop reading and writing between [classes]," he said. "I would venture to guess that most Columbia students don't get much sleep through the year."

Poorbaugh's perception of college students, particularly undergraduates, changed during his time at Columbia. Like most enlisted Marines, he thought they spent their days partying and socializing. At Columbia, at least, it's a bit different.

"The biggest surprise for me, as far as working with the other students, was just how prepared they were for everything there," Poorbaugh recalled. "They're extremely bright. It's the same thing with the ROTC students. ... I was surprised at how well prepared they were."

The former data chief with the amphibious vehicle test branch at Camp Pendleton, California, is looking forward to completing The Basic School and learning what the Corps will give him for his next job.

"I joke that it's easy for me: I'm getting back into my comfort zone," Poorbaugh said.