Air Force Veteran on Transforming Restlessness into the Purposeful Pursuit of Adventure at GS
After a nomadic childhood, Chanchai Lewis ‘27GS shares how his military and Columbia GS experiences have given him the grounding to truly fly.
Chanchai Lewis ‘27GS remembers the day his life changed like it was yesterday.
Born to a Thai mom and American dad who met while his father was stationed at a U.S. Air Force base in Japan, Lewis spent his early years in his mother’s hometown in Thailand. Then, at age six, his family faced a turning point: his father was recalled from Okinawa and offered to take Lewis back to the U.S. with him.
“I remember that day because it meant nothing to me,” said Lewis. “I had a chicken satay in my hand and a bottle of coke and I was just running around!” Lewis remembered his mom calling him over and asking if he would like to go live with his dad. “I was just like, ‘yeah sure,’ and then I went back to running around. It was such an innocent question but it had a lot of implications.”
Soon, Lewis was on a plane to the U.S. As a military kid, he spent the rest of his childhood bouncing from place to place—Florida, Texas, Oregon, Washington, and Missouri to name a few—and visiting Thailand in the summers. Lewis credits his upbringing with making him adaptable and empathetic, but there was a flip side as well. “I've never lived in a place for more than three years,” he shared. “It kind of instilled in me a bit of a nomadic trait…I get kind of restless if I’m in a place for a long time or if I’m not doing things.”
“[My childhood] kind of instilled in me a bit of a nomadic trait…I get kind of restless if I’m in a place for a long time or if I’m not doing things.”
Lewis was also feeling indecisive as he approached high school graduation. Unsure about his future goals or his interest in college, he was encouraged by his stepmom to follow in his father’s footsteps and join the Air Force. “My stepmom is a huge reason I’m even on the trajectory I’m on right now,” said Lewis, who shared that his family, and particularly both his moms, have been crucial to his journey.
Once again, a snap decision shifted Lewis’ path dramatically and within a month, he was on a bus to basic training. It was a particularly unique time to join the Air Force: the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. During basic training, access to electronics and outside communication is limited, so Lewis recalled crowding around a weekly newsletter with his fellow recruits and reading about rising cases and the climbing death toll.
Even in these less than ideal circumstances, Lewis flourished in the Air Force. Stationed in Germany for two years, and then in Virginia, he said that the Air Force gave him exactly the opportunities to travel, explore, and push himself that he was looking for. Even as the Air Force fed his hunger for adventure, though, it also pushed him to mature and evolve. “The Air Force gave me a lot of stability, insight into what I value as a person, and it also reinvigorated my love of learning,” Lewis shared.
“The Air Force gave me a lot of stability, insight into what I value as a person, and it also reinvigorated my love of learning.”
After four years in the Air Force, Lewis saw himself happily continuing…but he was also starting to feel the pull towards something new. Unlike in the past though, he was fully in control of where he took himself next, and he had a renewed sense of purpose to guide his search for the next great endeavor.
“It was a very hard decision to leave the Air Force because it was so comfortable,” he said. “I got a monthly paycheck, no questions asked. I had a place to live, food in my belly; it was easy. But I knew in my heart that I really wanted to do something more…and Columbia offered that.”
Lewis shared that Columbia GS’s robust nontraditional student community made it the “perfect fit…Columbia offered me a chance to continue exploring.”
“Columbia offered me a chance to continue exploring.”
That’s exactly what he’s done as a GSer: shifting academic gears from computer science to political science and economics, overcoming nerves and networking with Columbia’s world-renowned faculty, and looking to start a Columbia chapter of the Explorers Club. “I just love surrounding myself with people who are intellectually curious,” said Lewis, citing the age and experiential diversity of Columbia’s undergraduate community as a particular boon. “I’m always so surprised at how smart all these younger kids are…I’m asking 18 year-olds how to do a problem set on my homework! I really appreciate the diversity brought here at Columbia.”
Lewis has also stayed connected to his veteran identity. “When I first got here, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to involve myself heavily with the military community,” he shared. “Then, I started talking to them and they are just so genuine. Of course, there is the connection of being a veteran, but it’s more about being part of a community of people who are just so warm and welcoming.” Lewis ended up running for the board of MilVets and in the 2025-2026 academic year, will serve as MilVets Director of Student Engagement.
Where Lewis’ sense of adventure takes him next is anyone’s guess, but what guides him now isn’t a sense of restlessness: it’s a purposeful drive to dare, and a set of still-growing experiences and skills that will empower him to strive for even higher heights.