Advaith Thampi joined Veterans Education Success in May 2023. He serves as Director of Government Affairs and Legislative Counsel. He is focused on advancing higher education legislation for service members, veterans, and their families to protect the GI Bill. Previously, Advaith advocated on Capitol Hill for veterans on behalf of The American Legion and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, where he helped pass many pieces of legislation improving the lives of veterans, their families, and caregivers, including legislation specifically related to higher education, healthcare, and National Security.
In 2005, after graduating from high school in Bakersfield, California, Advaith enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He deployed to Iraq in 2008 and Afghanistan in 2009-2010, serving as a crew chief on Marine C-130s. He has deployed around the world, including Okinawa, Japan, and throughout the Western Pacific.
Before advocating on Capitol Hill for veterans, Advaith went to college on the G.I. Bill while also serving student veterans at the Veteran Resource Center at Irvine Valley College and serving homeless veterans in Orange County during law school. In 2016, Advaith graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California, Irvine, and then went on to earn his Juris Doctor from Chapman University, Dale E. Fowler School of Law, in 2019. Advaith volunteers with Team Rubicon and presently resides in Washington, DC.