The Office of Military and Veterans Services gave a presentation about Vet Net Ally with a student panel
“From Boots to Books,” an event about the transition from military personnel to student was held on Tuesday, Nov. 14. Everett Brooks, the Executive Director of the Office of Military and Veteran Services, gave a presentation titled “Vet Net Ally,” which was the bulk of the event.
The event was for APU faculty and staff to provide them with statistics on student veterans as well as guidelines on how to interact with veteran students in the classroom.
“Vet Net Ally” was developed at California State University Long Beach as a faculty and staff awareness program. It’s designed to educate members of the university community, foster a supportive community and establish a network of visible Allies for veterans on college campuses.
The presentation provided attendees with statistics regarding the veteran presence on APU’s campus. In the 2016-2017 school year, there were 424 military connected students. Of those students, 220 were veterans, active duty or reserves; 147 of the students were a spouse or dependent of military personnel; 57 students either declined to report on their status of military connection or were not reported at all.
APU is a Yellow Ribbon School, which was a contributing factor for senior business management major and Marine veteran Jonathan Brogan in his decision to come here.
“The fact that our Yellow Ribbon Program is pretty large compared to other schools, that’s a huge draw,” Brogan said. “The fact that APU almost 100 percent of the time pays for your fees and tuition is a huge deal.”
The break down of the veteran community at APU is spread out among the branches. Thirty-three percent is Army, 26 percent is Navy, 23 percent is Marine Corps, 13 percent is Air Force, three percent is National Guard and two percent is Coast Guard.
The presentation also provided a list of the different names affiliated with each branch: Army personnel are called Soldiers, Marine Corps personnel are called Marines, Navy personnel are called Sailors, Air Force personnel are called Airmen and Coast Guard personnel are called Guardians. These distinctions are often important to the respective service members because there is a sense of pride that goes with serving in each branch. The presentation encouraged faculty and staff to be mindful of which branch their veterans are in.
The transition from active duty to veteran or reserves as a student can be a difficult one. All three of the panelists spoke to the various struggles they have faced since becoming students here at APU.
“I look young, and the professors treat me like I’m a child,” Julieta Rivera, an allied health major and Army veteran, said. “It’s a struggle for me every day to commute and maintain a job. I have a dog at home and I’m in reserves. I have a lot on my plate, and I don’t think teachers understand that I’m not a traditional student.”
Tony Jimenez, a social science major and Air Force veteran, echoed Rivera’s experience and shared the struggles he has faced.
“I had some education done before I got out, but as far as a university, there are things that were all new to me,” Jimenez said. “As military members, we had certain structures and things that we dealt with every single day, but being on us constantly is something that is not there anymore, so [the responsibility] is on us. I think that’s a culture shock for some people. For myself personally, I’m a husband and a father as well. I have a lot more responsibilities than just being a student. I’m not a majority, and I understand you have to teach to the masses. So it’s a responsibility on us as veterans and as students to realize you’re not being rude to us.”
Brooks said that sometimes veterans do not want to be thanked because some of those who served did not have good experiences. However, in light of Veteran’s Day and being asked about how to recognize the work veterans do, Brogan shared that “a simple thank you goes a long way.”