Military veterans and family members of veterans at Weber can now have their cake and eat it too: literally. Weber State Veterans were treated to a camouflage cake on June 7 in celebration of the Veteran’s Services new move to the Nontraditional Student Center.
During an academic year, over 800 Weber State students use veteran entitlements to pay for their education expenses. This money is not just exclusive to veterans. Veterans can give their financial benefits to their spouse or their children under some circumstances.
Weber State Veterans Services recently moved from its old location of Annex 5 to a new location at the Nontraditional Student Center. Charlie Chandler, who has been the Director of Veterans Affairs since 2006, has nothing but good things to say about the new location.
“We’re really excited to be here, because most of our veterans are Nontraditional Students,” Chandler said. “By co-locating, we can use their services, their computer lab, their academic advising, child care. All of these things are at our disposal.”
Chandler also favors the new location for its proximity to other services on campus, such as Financial Aid, Reigstration, Career Services and the Psychological Counseling Center.
“It’s a great place to be,” Chandler said.
Transitioning back into mainstream society — and higher education — can be difficult for some veterans, but veterans like Joseph Atkin find the experience well worth it.
“You’re part of a community,” Atkin said on his four-and-a-half years in military service. “You’re part of a family. You’ve got people around you that take care of you. When you come home you feel like a better person than when you left.”
Returning to school can be a new challenge, but Veterans Services seeks to ease the transition and offer continued support in any way they can. Atkin appreciates all Veterans Services does at WSU.
“They are there for you. They work for you with the VA and they take care of you,” Atkin said.
Atkin also praised the singular focus Veterans Services has on helping.
“They want to make sure no matter what, you have the resources to succeed,” Atkin said. “Everything that they do is centered around that to make sure that you get out of school with a degree in hand, debt free.”
Ryan Haney, an Air Force Veteran attending Weber State said he found it difficult transitioning out of the military because he found life slowing down a lot.
“You have a little more freedom,” Haney said.
Haney found Veterans Services and Veterans Affairs helpful by acting as a liaison between himself and Veteran Administration.
“With Veterans Affairs here they are able to open doors up with the VA as they are a little bit of a bigger voice,” Haney said.
If you’re a military veteran or family member of a veteran attending Weber State, look no further for academic support than the Veterans Services office, now located with the Nontraditional Student Center in the Shepherd Union building.
