Veterans and their families returning to college are finding support and new opportunities through “Connected by Service,” a program at TCC designed to provide student veterans with resources and academic support.
Lidia Narvaez, a veterans counselor, and Stephen Howard, a student counselor in Student Advising and Success, started “Connected by Service” together last semester to help address the needs of student veterans.
Narvaez said one of the goals of the program is to give student veterans access to resources while allowing them to have a role in shaping the program.
“We would like it to be student led,” Narvaez said.
The program focuses on connecting student veterans with resources that can help them succeed in college. At the meetings they discuss things like different learning styles and the importance of finding academic techniques that work for individual students.
Deidra Leary, a returning student and spouse of a Navy veteran, said her main motivation for returning to college is to create a legacy for her grandchildren and give back to her community.
“I think the central motivation for me coming back is a legacy for my grandkids, and second of all, I’d like to give back to the community,” Leary said.
Leary previously left college, got married and started a family before returning to school. She has a career background in accounting and has earned several certifications. She said she has set a goal of earning her degree regardless of how long it takes.
Leary said experiences in her community also influenced her desire to help people who may not have access to counseling or other resources.
“I know that coming up, there were a lot of people in my community that were suffering from family situations, violence, drinking, substance abuse, and I’d like to be able to volunteer at either the VA hospital or the campus or just a nonprofit organization to be able to help people who are less fortunate and can’t pay for counseling,” Leary said.
Leary’s husband is a retired Navy veteran who served for more than 20 years. He earned an associate’s degree and bachelor’s degree and has helped Leary with subjects such as math as she works toward her own degree.
Corey Favors, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and returning student, said he came back to school after retiring from the workforce at 48. Favors served in the Marine Corps for nearly a decade and later worked as an executive chef.
Favors said returning to college has given him an opportunity to pursue a different path in life.
“You know, just something to reach beyond the limits that I thought that I had, you know, I retired at 48, and decided to come back to school and pursue a different path in life for a few years before I fully retire and start traveling,” Favors said.
Favors said his time in the workforce has influenced his approach to school and given him a stronger sense of work ethic.
“Coming back to school for me, it’s an adventure. Especially being in the workforce for so long,” Favors said. “It gives you a sense of, you know, a better work ethic, really.”
The meetings also highlight educational benefits available to veterans and their families. Student veterans can discuss how those benefits can help make returning to college more accessible.
Academic assistance is also available through the Learning Commons, where supplemental instruction offers students additional learning activities, games and resources.
The program’s organizers said that students learn differently and may benefit from different learning techniques. Connected by Service aims to help student veterans find resources and support that fit their individual needs.
For students such as Leary and Favors, returning to college provides an opportunity to set new goals while using their previous experiences to pursue a new direction.
