From Combat to College: The Transition After Arrival
Currently there are 395–400 veterans that attend Northern Arizona University; according to Laurie Jordan who is the program coordinator for the NAU Veterans Center.
The way we get our numbers is by those who use benefits, VA benefits, and those are solid numbers,” Jordan said. “But there are a lot of students who don’t self-identify so we might have more than that.”
There is often a missing piece to the puzzle when soldiers return home and want to go to college. Clear advice on going back to school and the means to transition properly are not often straightforward when veterans return to college. Many veterans go to serve their country before their 21st birthday, and often times this is the only job they are familiar with or ever held. But, transitioning from the intensity of being in the service to a more self-sufficient, unstructured college lifestyle, returning can be a bit overwhelming.
Sergeant First Class, Tyler McNeeley, returned from Afghanistan after an 18 month tour on duty in June of 2013 where he left again in 2006.
“Before I went to Afghanistan, I was not a really big people person, never have been…but then I come back and find myself in a classroom with 360 students it’s kind of a shock,” McNeeley said. “It was really hard to do well in all my classes because every fiber of my being just wanted to say screw it and not do this and not be surrounded by all these people.”
Though challenging at times, McNeeley plans to graduate in May finally completing his photography degree after starting his college career in 2001.
“After making it through the initial semester everything got a lot easier,” Sergeant McNeeley said. “I find school way more comfortable now because, like I said, there are only a handful of photography students and it’s more engaging: I’m not just sitting in an auditorium listening to someone talk, instead I’m planning out photo trips with my friends and teachers.”
At Northern Arizona University, incoming vets have access to the Veterans Success Center, which aims to make transitioning into college a lot easier. Laurie Jordan, a veteran herself, and graduate of W.A. Franke College of Business, says her position at the Veteran Success Center has many resources for incoming veterans.
“Coming into the center, we offer a safe space to relax, study, get information, or just socialize with your friends,” Jordan said. “It is our job to engage with the students and determine what resources will be best to fit their needs.”
The Veterans Success Center provides a checklist that guides veterans to succeed with their transition into NAU. They also help with recruitment, transition, retention and career development for veterans attending the W.A. Franke College of Business.
“Some may find it difficult to transition from a structured environment in the military to a less structured environment such as you find when going back to college,” Jordan said. “During the fall term we provide an academic readiness workshop for those that are interested. We have health promotions, come in and talk about adapting to the classroom and dealing with stress and time management.”
Some veterans say it’s the camaraderie and support that they get from their campuses that determine whether they finish said Laurie Jordan, program coordinator for NAU Veterans Center. The Success Center works to build that safe place for all veterans.
“In general having the center here I’ve heard students say has made a huge difference and they only wish they would have found out about it sooner, and that they would have not just known about the center,” Jordan said. “The fact that we can do financial aid stuff, but the idea that get involved with the center and the stuff that we have to offer, because it’s hugely beneficial for retention, that’s all there is to it.”
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