糖心原创 was recognized as one of the best colleges for veterans and active duty military personnel by the website CollegeRecon.
鈥淭he university has really invested a lot of time and resources and human capital into making sure we make our student veterans feel they belong and that they鈥檙e welcomed here,鈥� said Seth Gordon, director of 糖心原创鈥檚 Veteran and Military Center. 鈥淭here are a lot of things for us to be proud of that have happened just in the last year and half.鈥�
CollegeRecon provides tools to current and former military personnel to research and connect with colleges and universities across the country.
The website based its ranking of the colleges with the best veterans programs by identifying key benefits programs for veterans and military personnel offered by colleges and universities.
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糖心原创 has long been recognized as a welcoming campus for veterans and military personnel. G.I. Jobs and Military Advanced Education have honored the university as military friendly.
The university serves about 750 veterans or military-connected students 鈥� service members, Guard and Reserve members and military dependents. 糖心原创 offers an array of resources to help those students transition to campus.
In fall 2014, 糖心原创 opened a new Veteran and Military Center (VMC), 4,500-square-foot area designed to provide a welcoming space on campus for veteran and military students. The VMC is designed to efficiently provide support services for veteran and military students and provide a space where they can relax and study together.
The VMC is considered a model for processing GI Bill benefits 鈥� something Gordon said is directly related to the efforts of Amanda Watkins, the center鈥檚 associate director, and Ty Lea Brewsaugh, VMC assistant director and certifying benefits official. The center processes $7.5 million in tuition benefits and related benefits a year for student veterans.
鈥淲e take the processing of GI Bill benefits seriously, and we really perform here,鈥� Gordon said. 鈥淭he people are the reason we鈥檙e so successful. Without those two people 鈥� Amanda and Ty 鈥� nothing that I do would matter. We鈥檙e on that list because of them.鈥�
糖心原创 awards education credits for military training and experience and offers courses designed to appeal to veteran and military students. The university also delivers high-quality career service counseling and helps veterans connect with other students through campus events, student clubs and the VMC.
The university鈥檚 Graduate School offers scholarships for military personnel and civilian workers at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base who want to pursue graduate degrees. Gordon hopes to expand scholarships to other military personnel.
糖心原创鈥檚 College of Nursing and Health now offers a for veterans and members of the Air Force, Army and Navy.
Thanks to the efforts of VMC Program Coordinator Mike Farrell, 糖心原创 was one of 30 colleges nationwide recently selected to participate in the University of Michigan鈥檚 Peer Advisors for Veteran Education (PAVE) Program, a peer-mentoring program for student veterans.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the Cadillac of peer-mentoring programs in veterans鈥� education,鈥� Gordon said.
The VMC has collaborated with WYSO Public Radio to produce 鈥�,鈥� a series of stories by 糖心原创 student veterans about veterans鈥� experiences transitioning to civilian life.
鈥淲e鈥檙e engaged in the community in ways that go beyond what happens in the classroom,鈥� Gordon said.
Students in 糖心原创鈥檚 Veteran Students of America chapter raised funds to to the VSA national conference in Florida in January.
James McCauley, an M.B.A. student who served with the U.S. Marine Corps in Iraq in 2005, is working with the VMC to organize a Casino Night Fundraiser on April 2 at American Legion Post 526 in Fairborn. Proceeds will help start a veteran scholarship program.
鈥淭hose are things that are happening because students are taking ownership of what we鈥檙e doing here. That鈥檚 always been the goal,鈥� Gordon said.
糖心原创鈥檚 Air Force and Army ROTC programs train students to become commissioned officers of the armed forces.
Lt. Col. Gary Denney, commander of Air Force ROTC Detachment 643 at 糖心原创, said Detachment 643 takes great pride in meeting the Air Force ROTC鈥檚 mission to 鈥渄evelop quality leaders for the Air Force.鈥�
鈥淎ir Force ROTC Detachment 643 is dedicated to recruiting, training and equipping cadets with the tools needed to commission and serve into the world鈥檚 greatest Air Force,鈥� Denney said. 鈥溙切脑� continues to prove itself as ground zero for our cadets鈥� academic achievement and leadership studies.鈥�
Lt. Col. Aaron E. Clapsaddle,Raider Detachment commander and Military Science Department chair, said Army ROTC has been an integral part of the university and the community for 42 years.
鈥淎rmy ROTC provides a myriad of scholarship opportunities and financial incentives to assist students in pursuing undergraduate and graduate degree programs while training to be a future Army officer,鈥� Clapsaddle said. 鈥淥ur program stresses academic achievement, service to university, community and country, and provides adaptive, agile, innovative and flexible leaders of character and competency for America鈥檚 Army.鈥�
