Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
Saint Leo Opens Military Resource Center Saint Leo University’s military community has a new place to call home. The Military Resource Center, located in Apartment Building 4 in the former Lakeside Room, will serve as a gathering place where student-veterans, activeduty and reserve servicemembers, and ROTC cadets can relax, study, meet with advisors, and receive help from external support centers. On Thursday, August 25, Pamela Martis, new director of the Office of Military Affairs and Services (formerly known as Veteran Student Services), hosted a welcome orientation at the Military Resource Center. New and returning student-veterans, military family member students, and ROTC students, as well as faculty and staff, were welcomed to the MRC. Martis, a retired U.S. Army colonel, and staff assistant John Morgan, who also is a student veteran, invited many guests to provide information about programs and support services available to the Saint Leo students. From Career Planning to the Office of Accessibility Services at Saint Leo, to outside groups such
as CareerSource Pasco Hernando, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Pasco County Vet Center, and the Disabled American Veterans, students learned about what services they can obtain. Guests discussed veteran educational benefit programs, employment opportunities, counseling services, and student success. Martis plans to continue that culture of support with the new Military Resource Center. The Office of Military Affairs and Services also will support Operation Stand Down, scheduled for September 29 to October 1, at Veterans Memorial Park in Hudson, FL. The office will collect donations of new socks, which will be distributed to homeless veterans during Operation Stand Down.
CRST Offers Apprenticeship Program for Military Veterans CRST International has been approved for the Veteran Apprenticeship Program, offered through the Department of Labor and the Veteran’s Administration. CRST International is one of the nation’s largest transportation companies, providing total transportation solutions and comprehensive logistics services to customers all over North America. The approval allows new and current CRST drivers using the GI Bill to be eligible to earn additional monthly income as they transition into trucking careers with CRST. Applicants to the 12-month program will have the opportunity to earn up to an additional $13,400 tax-free from government funding. The income levels are determined by the number of years served and the type of benefits received through the GI Bill. The program will complement CRST’s existing Heroes on the Highway military program for veterans joining the transportation industry. “We’re proud to do all that we can to support our drivers who come to us after military service,” said Jenny Abernathy, CRST vice president of capacity development. “The transition can be difficult, and this program gives our veterans a chance to learn the skills they need while earning a good income.”
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‘Transition is the Mission’ at Penn State Making the transition to college can be daunting for any student, but for military veterans it can be particularly challenging. A new class, “Transition is the Mission,” being piloted at Penn State’s University Park campus this semester, was designed to address that, by helping student veterans maximize their time at Penn State academically, professionally and personally. The course, Education 100, is being offered through the College of Education, and it is open to all student veterans. Erik Orient, who is teaching the class, has made the transition himself. After serving in the military for four years, he came to Penn State while remaining on active duty. “I’ve done it myself, and I know some of the struggles,” said Orient, director of the Penn State Engineering Ambassadors. “The military community is very tight knit and members are unified on a common mission. A university environment can feel fragmented and individualized. For veterans, this unfamiliarity can feel very, very foreign and uncomfortable. Consequently, many veterans don’t maximize their college experience because they go to class, get their grades and they’re done. That’s what I did. I don’t want to see others do the same.” The course aims to help the students get the most out of all the resources the University has to offer. That includes navigating the GI Bill; learning about resources that are available from both Penn State and State College area agencies; deciding on a major and career path; getting the most out of job searches; and getting involved in extracurricular programs. Another challenge for veterans can be heading to college without a clear idea of what they want to study. “It’s all too common,” said Renee ThorntonRoop, associate director of the Office of Veterans Programs at Penn State. “We want to catch it on the front end. It’s hard because they don’t have the luxury a traditional student has to feel out their likes and dislikes.” Thornton-Roop and Mary Fisk, coordinator of Veterans Outreach, will teach several sections of the class including information on making the most of the GI Bill, tapping into community resources, landing internships and studying abroad. Thornton-Roop and Orient said eventually they would like to make the class available to all incoming student veterans. For more information or to enroll in the class, contact Orient at evo100@psu.edu.
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