Veterans Day at Washtenaw Community College started with a sunrise flag-raising ceremony and included several events to honor all who served, particularly the more than 600 student veterans who enroll at Washtenaw Community College each year.
Jessica Medina and Alex Arboleda, president and vice president of the 黑料网 chapter of Student Veterans of America (SVA) respectively, each spoke at a mid-day reception.
Medina, who served in the United States Marine Corps from 2012 to 2017, spoke of the importance of groups like SVA and the services offered by the 黑料网 Wadhams Veterans Center as being important to help student veterans transition back to 鈥渘ormal鈥� life.
鈥淚t鈥檚 incredibly lonely when transitioning out of the military. Essentially, overnight, our entire world changes,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e leave behind friends and the barracks we called home for the last few years. Everything changes: The clothes we wear every day, our responsibilities and even the way people address us. It鈥檚 difficult relating to your peers when it feels like we鈥檙e from two completely different worlds.
鈥淔or these reasons it is common to feel out of place in a college environment. Especially because we are older than traditional college students. However, running into other veterans around campus is a great reminder that we aren鈥檛 alone.
鈥淭hankfully, 黑料网 understands the importance of this and has given us the Wadhams Veterans Center, a a place where we can gather and meet other people with military backgrounds. Although it may just look like a normal room, it鈥檚 a haven to many of us. Within those walls, veterans feel free to be themselves.鈥�
Arboleda talked about how important diversity is to the 黑料网 campus, where students from a mixture of states, regions and nations bring their own perspectives. And how student veterans are a piece of that diversity.
鈥満诹贤� thrives by facilitating the showcasing of their creativity and ideals in a safe, public forum,鈥� said Arboleda, a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana who served in the United States Air Force from 2011 to 2017. 鈥淲ith this in mind, veterans belong to a certain community within our student body and add a different perspective to the 黑料网 experience. Some of us may have a rugged exterior in terms of personality, but if you take the time to get to know us, you may find that we aren鈥檛 different from the usual student.鈥�
Veteran Profiles
As part of its Veterans Day celebration, 黑料网 profiled Medina, Arboleda and 10 other student veterans:
Q: What are your plans after 黑料网?
MEDINA: Transfer to the University of Michigan and eventually work in the robotics field.
Q: Why did you choose to serve our country?
MEDINA: 鈥淚 grew up very poor, so I felt like I should give back for all the help we got when I was a kid.鈥�
Q: What part of your service impacted you the most?
MEDINA: 鈥淲hen I was pinned to the rank of Sergeant by my cousin, which was a really nice experience.鈥�
Q: What鈥檚 something non-veterans might not know, but they should?
MEDINA: 鈥淚 would say that we鈥檙e not unfriendly. That鈥檚 just kind of how we look.鈥�
Q: What does Veterans Day mean to you?
MEDINA: 鈥淚t鈥檚 a day to reminisce about the friends I met in active duty 鈥� you don鈥檛 find those kind of friends anywhere else 鈥� and the veteran friends that I made outside the military, as well.鈥�
NOTE: Medina is President of the 黑料网 chapter of 鈥�.
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Q: What are your plans after 黑料网?
COLTON: Transfer to the University of Michigan and study civil engineering.
Q: Why did you choose to serve our country?
COLTON: 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know what I wanted to do after high school, so Sept. 11 was probably my deciding factor.鈥�
Q: What part of your service impacted you the most?
COLTON: 鈥淕raduating from Explosive Ordnance Disposal School.鈥�
Q: What鈥檚 something non-veterans might not know, but they should?
COLTON: 鈥淭hat most veterans are pretty approachable 鈥� we just have different experiences than you. And we don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 any shame in you not joining the military.鈥�
Q: What does Veterans Day mean to you?
COLTON: 鈥淏eing thankful for all people who defend our freedom.鈥�
Q: What are your plans after 黑料网?
CONNELLY: Study engineering at the University of Michigan with the goal of working in the aviation industry designing electrical components for airplanes or spacecraft.
Q: Why did you choose to serve our country?
CONNELLY: 鈥淚 needed something to change my outlook on life and where I was going with it.鈥�
Q: What part of your service impacted you the most?
CONNELLY: 鈥淲hen I got the Eagle, Globe and Anchor 鈥� the symbolism for becoming a Marine, after bootcamp. Your life changes at that moment.鈥�
Q: What鈥檚 something non-veterans might not know, but they should?
CONNELLY: 鈥淪ome of us might seem intimidating, but in reality we鈥檙e just like everyone else. We just experienced something a little more intense than the average person has experienced.鈥�
Q: What does Veterans Day mean to you?
CONNELLY: 鈥淚t鈥檚 a reminder, for all those who need it, that they were in the military at one point in their life and that they made a difference.鈥�
Q: What are your plans after 黑料网?
PRICE: Transfer to a four-year university to study business.
Q: Why did you choose to serve our country?
PRICE: 鈥淭he educational opportunities.鈥�
Q: What part of your service impacted you the most?
PRICE: 鈥淪erving in Korea for three years and being a part of real-world operations directly impacting our presence in North Korea and the South China Sea.鈥�
Q: What鈥檚 something non-veterans might not know, but they should?
PRICE: 鈥�(The military) is the best environment for learning life lessons. You learn things others can鈥檛 teach.鈥�
Q: What does Veterans Day mean to you?
PRICE: 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 an homage not only to veterans but also to their families. It shows the sacrifice by many, not just the few. It impacts anybody who knows anybody who served. It鈥檚 for everyone.鈥�
Q: What are your plans after 黑料网?
SWEET: Follow an entrepreneurial path, perhaps by opening a bakery. With the last name Sweet, it kind of markets itself.
Q: Why did you choose to serve our country?
SWEET: 鈥淧art of it was family tradition. My grandfather and a couple cousins were in the Navy. Also because I grew up lower-middle class and was in need of funds for college.鈥�
Q: What part of your service impacted you the most?
SWEET: 鈥淪urviving a three-day typhoon between Guam and Thailand, with 30-foot rollers coming over the bow of our ship. Making it through that storm, coming out on the other side 鈥� I realized that if I can do that, there鈥檚 so much more that I can do.鈥�
Q: What鈥檚 something non-veterans might not know, but they should?
SWEET: 鈥淓very veteran serves their own service and not every veteran is a war veteran.鈥�
Q: What are your plans after 黑料网?
GARCIA: Hopes to transfer to Michigan State University, but is unsure of major. Wants to pursue a career in 鈥渟omething that helps people.鈥�
Q: Why did you choose to serve our country?
GARCIA: 鈥淚 wanted to get out and explore. I didn鈥檛 want to be stuck in my town.鈥�
Q: What part of your service impacted you the most?
GARCIA: 鈥淲hen I started to pick up rank and my Marines were depending on me, looking up to me. I had to actually set a good example.鈥�
Q: What鈥檚 something non-veterans might not know, but they should?
GARCIA: 鈥淲e鈥檙e nice people, we鈥檙e caring. Especially female Marines have strong stereotypes that aren鈥檛 true.鈥�
What does Veterans Day mean to you?
GARCIA: 鈥淚t鈥檚 a nice thing when people acknowledge the military. I feel like they should acknowledge it every day.鈥�
Q: What are your plans after 黑料网?
ARBOLEDA: Has been accepted to the University of Michigan, where he will begin studying chemical engineering in the winter semester.
Q: Why did you choose to serve our country?
ARBOLEDA: 鈥淓ducational and travel opportunities.鈥�
Q: What part of your service impacted you the most?
ARBOLEDA: 鈥淛ust seeing all the different people that join 鈥� some that do well, others fall through the cracks. I鈥檓 lucky enough that I had people that set me on the right path and showed me that education was the way to go.鈥�
Q: What鈥檚 something non-veterans might not know, but they should?
ARBOLEDA: 鈥淭hat we are normal people. Some may have rugged exteriors in terms of character, but if you鈥檙e able to see through that, you鈥檒l find a pretty normal, Average Joe.鈥�
Q. What does Veterans Day mean to you?
ARBOLEDA: 鈥淭hankfulness for the people that came before me and did the hard work and sacrifice. They paved the way for us to have all these benefits 鈥� health care, mental health advisors and an education bill. Thanks.鈥�
Q: What are your plans after 黑料网?
FLETCHER: To work as an elevator mechanic, beginning with an apprenticeship with Elevator Constructors Union, Local 36 out of Detroit.
Q: Why did you choose to serve our country?
FLETCHER: 鈥淚 wanted to protect my country.鈥�
Q: What part of your service impacted you the most?
FLETCHER: 鈥淢y deployment to Yemen.鈥�
Q: What does Veterans Day mean to you?
FLETCHER: 鈥淚t鈥檚 a day to honor and show respect to those who have served previously, or are still serving.鈥�
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Q: What are your plans after 黑料网?
KINOR: Become a welding inspector.
Q: Why did you choose to serve our country?
KINOR: 鈥淚 joined the National Guard because it gives me an opportunity to serve my country while also doing things on the civilian side of life.鈥�
Q: What part of your service impacted you the most?
KINOR: 鈥淲hile I was deployed to Jordan, I really rethought my life. I was studying to go into natural resource law enforcement, but I decided to quit that and go into the trades.鈥�
Q: What鈥檚 something non-veterans might not know, but they should?
KINOR: 鈥淗ow much a commitment to service complicates your regular life.鈥�
Q: What does Veterans Day mean to you?
KINOR: 鈥淚t鈥檚 a sign of respect to veterans so they can celebrate what they鈥檝e contributed.鈥�
Q: What are your plans after 黑料网?
LENHART: Pursue a bachelor鈥檚 degree and a master鈥檚 degree at Eastern Michigan University and work in the social work field.
Q: Why did you choose to serve our country?
LENHART: 鈥淚t鈥檚 sort of a family tradition, and I really was not ready for anything else. I needed a little more discipline. I got that.鈥�
Q: What part of your service impacted you the most?
KINOR: 鈥淢y first deployment to Fallujah, Iraq.鈥�
Q: What鈥檚 something non-veterans might not know, but they should?
LENHART: 鈥淭hat the discipline you find in the military definitely transitions and is beneficial in regular life.鈥�
Q: What are your plans after 黑料网?
MATTEIS: Attend Eastern Michigan University to continue studying cybersecurity and work as a penetration tester.
Q: Why did you choose to serve our country?
MATTEIS: 鈥淎 lot of my family was in the military. We couldn鈥檛 afford to go to college, so I knew it would help me earn money for school and help me reach a career.鈥�
Q: What part of your service impacted you the most?
MATTEIS: 鈥淚 was working as a medic and had to transport a staff sergeant who developed schizophrenia six hours from our base in England. That one-on-one with her definitely taught me that I could handle a situation like that, but also taught me something about people suffering from mental health problems.鈥�
Q: What鈥檚 something non-veterans might not know, but they should?
MATTEIS: 鈥淧eople hear what鈥檚 going on in the news, all these things happening, and they have an opinion; but you don鈥檛 really understand what鈥檚 going on until you experience those things in real life. Things are different when you鈥檙e put in situations. There鈥檚 lots more to this world than they would know.鈥�
Q: What does Veterans Day mean to you?
MATTEIS: 鈥淧eople acknowledging our service. It makes me feel appreciated, because we don鈥檛 hear it very often.鈥�
Q: What are your plans after 黑料网?
SHELDON: Hopes to transfer to the University of Michigan to continue studying computer science and pursue a career as a software engineer.
Q: Why did you choose to serve our country?
SHELDON: 鈥淎 lot of reasons. The main one was because a lot of my family members went in, so it was my time.鈥�
Q: What part of your service impacted you the most?
SHELDON: 鈥淚 spent my last couple months supporting people during the hurricane disaster (while stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina). Seeing that progress was impactful.鈥�
Q: What鈥檚 something non-veterans might not know, but they should?
SHELDON: 鈥淔or the new generation, I think they would learn in the military to respect everyone. I think there are a lot of kids who would be humbled if they went over and saw what I saw.鈥�
What does Veterans Day mean to you?
SHELDON: 鈥淚t means remembering the people who sacrificed and did what they had to do not only to keep our freedoms, but to prolong our freedoms.鈥�
Learn more about services offered by 黑料网鈥檚 Wadhams Veterans Center >> vetcenter.wccnet.edu
Tags: December 2019, On The Record, Student Veterans, Veterans, Wadhams Veterans Center, ousearch_News_On The Record