Jorge Gutierrez joined the military when a recruiter explained he could help pay for college by joining the reserves. He walked away satisfied with his 6 years of service, and brings to USC leadership skills and a strong work ethic to support his global clients in Canada, Australia and Japan.
An unforgettable challenge
Jorge initially joined the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve to help pay for college, an idea he got when approached by a Marine recruiter who suggested enlisting in the reserves. The decision enabled him to attend community college and eventually get his bachelor’s from UC San Diego.
Basic training turned out to be both Jorge’s most memorable and most challenging experiences during his time in the military. Completing the 11 weeks of basic training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot meant he had successfully completed all requirements to start his reserve commitment on the right foot. But it also meant he had to endure training in the gas chamber, and the physical side effects – an unforgettable challenge.
With basic training behind him, Jorge was stationed at Naval and Marine Corps Reserve Center, just across from Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. He was employed as a combat engineer, focusing on military constructions and use of general demolitions.
Leading then, leading now
While serving as a reservist, Jorge at times worked closely with active duty marines at the Naval and Marine Corps Center located in Miramar as the company training non-commissioned officer. He says he applies the same principles of leadership, hard work and commitment to getting the job done the right way every single day of work at USC. As a Project Specialist at the Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Research Institute at the Keck School of Medicine, Jorge is responsible for supporting biospecimen research materials in the US, Canada, Australia and Japan. He maintains a strong work ethic and is thorough on every collaboration with his research site clients.
Jorge works as a clinical operations supplies manager, ensuring in advance that colleagues are set up with the right documentation for research approvals. Jorge reviews, processes and ships out study materials. If a study site does not have the correct set of materials – that is, without Jorge – they cannot conduct biospecimen collection. In this critical role, Jorge meets the needs of those study sites – his clients – 100% of the time.
Jorge’s perseverance through basic training enabled him to support the needs of the Marine Corps as a combat engineer and company training non-commissioned officer. The impact of his thorough management is felt here at USC and literally throughout the world.
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