Image courtesy of Manor College
Cpl. George McDermott (Northeast Preparatory High School, Philadelphia, Pa.) is a Criminal Justice major at Manor College.
During warm summer nights, a small pack of teenagers roamed the backyards of Northeast Philadelphia. They laugh as they hop a fence and jump into a neighbor’s pool. Among the first hopping the chain link fence was a young George McDermott.
Each adventure brought its own thrill. McDermott is the first to say that as a kid, he liked getting into trouble too much. He grew up in a broken home and butted heads with his biological father. Mischief served as an outlet. Proving a point – as in, “Think I can’t do something? Fine, I’ll do it anyway.” – became the motivation.
That’s how McDermott found a home with the Marines. While exploring his own connection to military service, a Marine at a recruiting center approached McDermott. They got talking about expectations, life as a Marine and McDermott gave a non-committal answer. What happened next, McDermott said, is “classic Marine.”
“He challenged me and said, ‘That’s OK. I don’t think you can do it anyway,’” McDermott said. “I knew it was a mind game, but it was a challenge to me. They get a rise out of you. Then it’s to prove them wrong.”
A year later, he shipped off to Parris Island for boot camp. He was stationed in California with the 9th Communication Battalion.
“The Marines, it just fits my life,” McDermott said. “It was sold as a rag-tag group of goofballs that find a way to get things done. If a job sounds too hard, the Marines get it done.”
As a part of the 9th Communication Battalion, the unit’s mission was to create and monitor the communication links between different units in order to establish command and control. He spent four years as an active-duty Marine before deciding not to reenlist. He left, earning the rank of Corporal.
The Marine Corps changed him. The trouble-seeking, pool hopper was gone, but what remained was a soldier struggling to transition to civilian life.
“It was trying to figure out how to be normal and talk to normal people again,” McDermott said. “I was in a high-tempo unit. You’re so used to dealing with high stress. You react and have different emotions. It’s OK to be aggressive in the military, but in real life, you can’t do those things.”
For some veterans, the transition is difficult and isolating. McDermott dealt with that by surrounding himself with other veterans.
“It’s nice to find another veteran and you can be like, ‘I’m just as crazy as you are,’” McDermott laughs. “Slowly, you find others, you adjust and you realize you’re not so different.”
After leaving the military, McDermott searched for his next career. He went through a firefighter program in California and thought about joining the Peace Corps. Nothing stuck.
He moved back to Northeast Philadelphia and worked in construction and as a handyman, but he sought a higher purpose.
McDermott first learned of Manor College through his former high school soccer teammate Damian Schweizer ‘18. Schweizer, an alum who currently works as an Admissions Counselor and a Women’s Soccer Assistant Coach for Manor, recommended McDermott take a visit. Not long after, he enrolled for the Fall 2024 semester.
“I knew if I went back to school, I wanted to stay somewhere local,” McDermott said. “I’ve already lived far away. I wanted a place to settle down.”
Today, McDermott can be found sitting at a round table in his trademark, worn-down hat. The 29-year-old laughs and cracks jokes at the table, surrounded by classmates nearly a decade younger.
“They joke around and call me Poppop,” McDermott laughs.
He joined Manor’s Men’s soccer team, where his age and leadership quickly became an asset.
Image courtesy of Manor College“I feel like an older brother to some of them,” McDermott said of his teammates. “It’s nice to joke with them and be the older guy they can talk to. They make me feel young again.”
John Dempster, Men’s Soccer Head Coach, added, “He brings leadership, life lessons and has the best attitude. He just loves being around the guys and having fun. He is the kind of player that will do whatever is needed to secure the win.”
McDermott is a Criminal Justice major at Manor College. After earning his degree, he hopes to become a police officer.
“I joined the Marine Corps because it brought out a lot of qualities I wanted to have – being a problem solver, finding a challenge, protecting others,” McDermott said. “After college, I want something that gives me that same brotherhood and allows me to protect people.”
