Student Profiles
David Earle
Eastern Connecticut State University
Visiting the battlefields of Gettysburg as a child had always fascinated David Earle. After graduating in 2000 from Daniel Hand High School in Madison, David enlisted in the Army and attended basic training before enrolling at Eastern Connecticut State University in fall 2001.
The following seven years were complicated. After attending three semesters at Eastern, David was activated by the Army. In 2004, he found himself at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, and then on his way to Afghanistan, where he served from January 2006 through April 2007. While at ECSU, David had been an integral member of the cross country and indoor and outdoor track-and-field teams. In Afghanistan, he called Bagram Air Base in the province of Parwan home for a year. David was shot at several times and witnessed a car bombing.
In April 2007, David was discharged. He re-enrolled at ECSU as a full-time student in fall 2007 and graduated in 2009 with a degree in history and American studies.
Upon his return to Eastern and the track-and-field program, David competed throughout the indoor season at distances between 1,500 and 5,000 meters. Although the time away from Eastern had a visible effect on his athletic performance, David returned with a fresh approach to his academics. Only an average student during his first few semesters at ECSU, David compiled a 3.7 grade point average in his final semester. David may not run as fast as he once did, but his life experiences are making the journey significantly more rewarding, and have made him a better teammate and student.
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