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Summer 2014

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Maybe it 麻豆精品 S檚 the way he speaks or the way he carries himself. It 麻豆精品 S檚 not hard to tell that UCF criminal justice major Emerson Bielen served in the military, and he 麻豆精品 S檚 never surprised when classmates ask.

麻豆精品 S淭he Marine Corps, 麻豆精品 S� he responds. And if they ask if he 麻豆精品 S檚 been 麻豆精品 S測ou know, over there, 麻豆精品 S� he tells them he spent nine months in Fallujah, Iraq. 麻豆精品 S淪ometimes somebody will ask, 麻豆精品 S楧id you ever kill anybody? 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� And I answer, 麻豆精品 S業 麻豆精品 S檓 sure most of the people in the military never killed anybody, 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� he says.

It 麻豆精品 S檚 the kind of awkward experience shared by student veterans that can separate them from other students on campus.

Bielen is philosophical about the misconceptions classmates can have about veterans 麻豆精品 S� ones that he says are shared by society at large. 麻豆精品 S淚 think some people do believe we all just killed a lot of people and are messed up in the head, 麻豆精品 S� he says.

But while Bielen knows there are student veterans who face physical and emotional difficulties, he says that for most of his peers the daily challenges are 麻豆精品 S減robably no different from any other student 麻豆精品 S� just trying to stay on top of everything you 麻豆精品 S檝e got to do. 麻豆精品 S�

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A Growing Population

UCF has nearly 1,600 student veterans, a population that has grown from about 200 in 2006. It is a wave that may not crest for years as more than 2 million Americans have served in Iraq or Afghanistan.

While it 麻豆精品 S檚 true that veterans share the challenges faced by traditional students, their circumstances often present additional obstacles, says Paul Viau, director of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 (VARC). The center opened three years ago as a one-stop shop for veterans 麻豆精品 S� resources and has become an academic and social hub for vets, who use its public space and study rooms.

According to Viau, UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 veterans are a varied group. While a few are in their 50s, most are in their late 20s or early 30s. The majority enlisted after high school, served four to 10 years, and came to UCF after two years at a state college. About 25 percent of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 student veterans are women.

麻豆精品 S淭hey often have other things going on outside the classroom 麻豆精品 S� families, jobs or other obligations, 麻豆精品 S� Viau says. 麻豆精品 S淭hey 麻豆精品 S檙e also at a different level of maturity from the more traditional students, so it can be tough for them to fit in on campus. 麻豆精品 S�

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A Cultural Transition

Bryan Batien, a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs psychologist who counsels student veterans at VARC, has witnessed the challenges of readjusting to civilian life.

麻豆精品 S淓ven if you leave out the issues of combat, the military is a very structured environment, 麻豆精品 S� says Batien, himself an Army veteran of the Iraq War. 麻豆精品 S淲hen you return to civilian life, when you come to a college campus, those are big adjustments. And a lot of veterans aren 麻豆精品 S檛 going to feel like they have much in common with the other students here. 麻豆精品 S�

Stacy Schumpert admits she wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 going out of her way to get involved in campus life when she came to UCF to pursue her master 麻豆精品 S檚 degree in social work.

At age 24, she joined the Air Force after four years of college and served five years of active duty, including a year as a combat operator in Iraq. Coming to UCF as a single mom and an Air Force Reserve member, she says, 麻豆精品 S淚 was really in my shell, just focused on what I was doing. 麻豆精品 S�

But an adviser who was a veteran and a member of the campus veterans 麻豆精品 S� organization, now the Student Veterans of America UCF Chapter, encouraged Schumpert to get involved. 麻豆精品 S淚 showed up at a meeting, and the next thing I know I 麻豆精品 S檓 the president, 麻豆精品 S� Schumpert says. 麻豆精品 S淚t was that peer-to-peer connection that brought me out of my shell. I think that 麻豆精品 S檚 really important for veterans, and that 麻豆精品 S檚 what we want to build on. 麻豆精品 S�

The and VARC both help to build community with veterans on campus 麻豆精品 S� a place where vets find support, guidance and an understanding ear, Schumpert says. 麻豆精品 S淚 think it 麻豆精品 S檚 hard for people to understand if you haven 麻豆精品 S檛 served in the military, but this is a group of people you would give your life for, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淚 know they 麻豆精品 S檙e people I can rely on, because we have shared experiences and values. 麻豆精品 S�

Conversely, Schumpert admits, it can be tough to find common ground with classmates who haven 麻豆精品 S檛 shared those kinds of life experiences.

麻豆精品 S淵ou 麻豆精品 S檒l see students, especially younger ones, who are wearing sweatpants to presentations or talking on their phones in class, 麻豆精品 S� Schumpert says. 麻豆精品 S淚 know I was guilty of the same kinds of things when I was an undergraduate, so I get it. But it still bothers me. 麻豆精品 S�

If the student veterans sometimes don 麻豆精品 S檛 know what to make of their civilian classmates, the opposite seems just as true.

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A Challenge to Fit In

Former Army medic and nurse Melissa Smith started college at UCF at the age of 25 to study biomedical science in hopes of becoming a pediatrician.

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麻豆精品 S淚 never announce that I 麻豆精品 S檓 a veteran; I don 麻豆精品 S檛 wear a camo backpack or anything, 麻豆精品 S� says Melissa Smith. 麻豆精品 S淏ut sometimes it comes up. 麻豆精品 S�

Smith joined the Army at age 17, four days after graduating from high school. She trained as a medic and a nurse, spent three years on active duty, including two years in Iraq, and completed five years in the Army Reserve.

Smith, who is completing her bachelor 麻豆精品 S檚 degree in biomedical sciences, wants to be a pediatrician and is applying to medical school. She was 25 when she started at UCF, and says she had little in common with other students.

When other students learn she not only enlisted at 17 but also served in Iraq, it 麻豆精品 S檚 often a conversation stopper. 麻豆精品 S淚 get blank stares a lot, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淧eople will say, 麻豆精品 S榃hat 麻豆精品 S檚 Iraq like? Is it really hot? 麻豆精品 S� I think they just don 麻豆精品 S檛 know how to process it. 麻豆精品 S�

Sometimes people will thank her for her service; Smith would rather they didn 麻豆精品 S檛. 麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 always awkward, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檓 not sure what it is they 麻豆精品 S檙e thanking me for, and I 麻豆精品 S檓 never sure how to respond to it. Should I thank them for thanking me? 麻豆精品 S�

Marine Corps veteran Lucdwin Luck employs the lessons he learned during guard duty at U.S. embassies in Japan, Brazil and Syria to his studies of political science at UCF.

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For student veteran Lucdwin Luck, the pride and sense of discipline and leadership instilled by his service as a U.S. Marine remain the characteristics by which he defines himself.

Selected for embassy security duty, his assignments included Japan, Brazil and Syria. In Damascus, Luck was one of five Marines assigned to the security detail. What he took away from those experiences weren 麻豆精品 S檛 long stretches far from home or the potential danger, but the unique opportunities it afforded him.

麻豆精品 S淭he Marine Corps was a terrific experience for me, 麻豆精品 S� Luck says. 麻豆精品 S淗ere I was, this young guy in these places all around the world, working with diplomats and civilians. I really learned how to interact with people on a level unlike anything I 麻豆精品 S檇 ever been exposed to before. 麻豆精品 S�

Those experiences fueled Luck 麻豆精品 S檚 thirst to know more about everything. A political science major with minors in business, economics and sociology, Luck is considering a range of careers. 麻豆精品 S淚 want to be involved in the community, maybe even run for political office, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淚 want to do something where I 麻豆精品 S檓 making a difference. 麻豆精品 S�

A Story of Success

While the struggles of veterans are more likely to get public attention, Batien says that the success of student vets at UCF is what should be focused on. And while some student veterans experience issues related to post-traumatic stress disorder, such as sleep problems or anger issues, Batien says, 麻豆精品 S淸They] are working through it and overcoming it. They 麻豆精品 S檙e succeeding. 麻豆精品 S�

Batien 麻豆精品 S檚 presence on campus is provided through the VA 麻豆精品 S檚 Veterans Integration to Academic Leadership (VITAL) program 麻豆精品 S� one of fewer than two dozen VITAL programs around the country. For the student veterans he 麻豆精品 S檚 assisted at UCF, Batien says it 麻豆精品 S檚 beneficial that VARC brings together all the resources available on campus: Counseling and Psychological Services, Student Disability Services, Transfer and Transition Services, and Career Services.

VARC resources provided much-needed support when Darrell Holmes needed help. After a career in the Air Force, Holmes tired of temporary work and decided to pursue a degree. But he found he didn 麻豆精品 S檛 learn as easily as he had in his youth, and that a hyperawareness of his surroundings made it difficult to tune out distractions.

麻豆精品 S淚 was having trouble retaining information, 麻豆精品 S� says Holmes. 麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檇 listen to a lecture and understand what the professor was saying, but in a few minutes it was gone. 麻豆精品 S� Holmes says he was diagnosed with a learning disability, possibly related to the 12 years he spent as a boxer.

When he turned to VARC, he says, 麻豆精品 S淚 was stunned by how quickly they were able to help me. Tutors, extra time for some of my work, a note-taker, even a recorder so that I could repeatedly listen to lectures 麻豆精品 S� it all made a huge difference. 麻豆精品 S�

While his studies have gotten more challenging, his grades have improved, he says. Holmes is confident he 麻豆精品 S檒l attain his goal of earning a law degree and providing other veterans with legal assistance.

麻豆精品 S淚 practically live at VARC, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淚t provides that calm and quiet I need to focus on my work, and also a chance to spend time with other vets, people who I feel that common bond with. 麻豆精品 S�

But there are still veterans on campus who haven 麻豆精品 S檛 connected to the services that are available to them.

After a career in the Air Force, Darrell Holmes enrolled at UCF to prepare for law school and found the support he needed to succeed in an academic environment at the Veterans Academic Resource Center.

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A Hub of Support

To help veterans prepare for job interviews, VARC holds an Academic Boot Camp, where volunteer peer mentors have been enlisted from among the student veterans. These mentors are reaching out not only to new students, but also to those who have been on campus for a while, says Schumpert. 麻豆精品 S淛udging from the reaction we get, a lot of [student veterans] don 麻豆精品 S檛 know what 麻豆精品 S檚 available, which is what we 麻豆精品 S檙e working to change, 麻豆精品 S� she says.

That 麻豆精品 S檚 why I volunteered to be a peer mentor. I had a hard time connecting with other students when I got here. I 麻豆精品 S檇 like to do what I can to make new student vets have an easier time than I did.

Jeff MacGibbon, 麻豆精品 S�13

After a career in the Air Force, Jeff MacGibbon earned a degree in business management at UCF.

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麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 easier for veterans to open up if they 麻豆精品 S檙e talking to other veterans, 麻豆精品 S� says Jeff MacGibbon, 麻豆精品 S�13, an Air Force veteran and business management graduate. 麻豆精品 S淭hat 麻豆精品 S檚 why I volunteered to be a peer mentor. I had a hard time connecting with other students when I got here. I 麻豆精品 S檇 like to do what I can to make new student vets have an easier time than I did. 麻豆精品 S�

Bielen, also a peer mentor, says even when the veterans he reaches out to seem reluctant to seek help, at least they know there 麻豆精品 S檚 a place to turn. 麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檒l talk about what it 麻豆精品 S檚 like being on campus, being older than everybody else and how weird it is or whatever 麻豆精品 S� really just trying to make that connection, 麻豆精品 S� he says.

VARC also hosts a dedicated orientation for incoming student veterans, whether they 麻豆精品 S檙e using veterans benefits or not. 麻豆精品 S淯CF is a big place, 麻豆精品 S� Lorine Cisch Taylor of Transfer and Transition Services told a group of 16 new students at a recent VARC orientation. 麻豆精品 S淭here 麻豆精品 S檚 a lot of, 麻豆精品 S楾hat 麻豆精品 S檚 not my department, you need to go across campus. 麻豆精品 S� There 麻豆精品 S檚 a lot of red tape. My job is to help you cut through that red tape. 麻豆精品 S�

Batien introduced himself at the orientation, tossing two foam rubber hand grenades into the crowd 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S渟tress relievers, 麻豆精品 S� he said to laughter 麻豆精品 S� and told students not to hesitate in turning to him or using available services on campus.

Before marching the new students to registration, Viau encouraged them to use VARC 麻豆精品 S檚 lounge and study rooms 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S渢he best-kept secret on campus 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� and shared the mantra of VARC staff and volunteers: Use the help that 麻豆精品 S檚 here for you.

His closing words were of the sort familiar to anyone who has worn a military uniform: 麻豆精品 S淵our mission now is to finish your degree. 麻豆精品 S�

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs psychologist Bryan Batien hands out stress relief squeeze toys shaped like hand grenades at the Veterans Academic Resource Center.