{"id":29327,"date":"2019-05-06T10:31:39","date_gmt":"2019-05-06T14:31:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/college.unc.edu\/?p=29327"},"modified":"2024-07-02T17:11:07","modified_gmt":"2024-07-02T17:11:07","slug":"zac-rhyner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/?p=29327","title":{"rendered":"Commencement profile: Zac Rhyner: A life of service"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\u201cDon\u2019t
\u201cDon\u2019t be afraid to put yourself out there\u201d is Zac Rhyner\u2019s advice to veterans who want to return to school. He\u2019ll graduate from Carolina in May. (photo by Kristen Chavez)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Carolina senior and decorated military veteran Zac Rhyner urges students to step outside their comfort zones in pursuit of their dreams<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Decorated military veteran Zac Rhyner \u201919 is the recipient of three Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star and the Air Force Cross. He has been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan six times and been involved in humanitarian relief efforts in Haiti. He\u2019s also a dad and a Carolina biology major who urges students to step outside their comfort zones in pursuit of their dreams.<\/p>\n

Before enrolling at Carolina, Rhyner spent 11 years serving in the military. His interest was sparked by his close relationship with his grandfather, who served in World War II.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just knew at a young age that I would join the military because of who he was and what he meant to me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Competition was an integral part of Rhyner\u2019s childhood. From his participation in team sports to daily backyard football games with his four siblings in his hometown of Medford, Wisconsin, Rhyner was driven to challenge himself physically. He knew he wanted to belong to a community of highly motivated individuals, so he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 2004 with the intent of going into special operations. He deployed to Afghanistan in 2008, where he took part in the Battle of Shok Valley. For his actions, he received the prestigious Air Force Cross and is the first living combat controller to receive it.<\/p>\n

The award citation reads: \u201cDespite a gunshot wound to the left leg and being trapped on a 60-foot cliff under constant enemy fire, Airman Rhyner controlled more than 50 attack runs and repeatedly repelled the enemy with repeated danger close air strikes, several within 100 meters of his position.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhyner said winning the Air Force Cross was a humbling experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one serves in the military expecting or aspiring to achieve medals,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t think that my actions were necessarily extraordinary in relation to any other combat controller that would have been assigned to the mission.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhyner was also awarded a Purple Heart for his heroic actions in Shok Valley. His second Purple Heart was from an explosive device in August 2009. He received a third Purple Heart from a gunshot wound that shattered his right femur and hip during his deployment to northern Afghanistan in 2013. His story has been featured in national media outlets including NBC\u2019s The Today Show.<\/em><\/p>\n

After sustaining wounds in 2015 that resulted in a permanent injury below the right knee, Rhyner medically retired from military service. That\u2019s when he found a new calling based on two years of intense physical therapy: He decided he wanted to go back to school to help others suffering from debilitating injuries.<\/p>\n

After earning an associate\u2019s degree from Sandhills Community College, Rhyner transferred to Carolina in fall 2017 because of the strength of its biology program.<\/p>\n

While many Carolina students enjoy socializing and spending time on Franklin Street during their free time, Rhyner balances his academic career with his responsibilities to his family \u2014 his wife, Jillian, and sons, Wyatt, 4, and Jameson, 2. After coming home from classes, he spends time with his boys. He wakes up early to study before class.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love it, and I wouldn\u2019t change it, but I definitely have some unique challenges that most students don\u2019t have,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Rhyner encourages veterans to go back to school to pursue or finish their college education.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first step is the hardest, but don\u2019t be afraid to put yourself out there,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

When he walks across the graduation stage in May, Rhyner will accomplish another step in his journey of serving others. He\u2019ll begin the Duke University Doctor of Physical Therapy Program in August.<\/p>\n

\u201dYou can really change people\u2019s lives by enabling them to do incredible things despite their limitations,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

By Lauryn Rivers \u201921<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Carolina senior and decorated military veteran Zac Rhyner urges students to step outside their comfort zones in pursuit of their dreams. Decorated military veteran Zac Rhyner \u201919 is the recipient of three Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star and the Air Force Cross. He has been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan six times and been involved 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