{"id":4325,"date":"2014-06-27T16:22:37","date_gmt":"2014-06-27T16:22:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/?p=4325&post_type=story"},"modified":"2025-03-13T16:38:12","modified_gmt":"2025-03-13T16:38:12","slug":"soldiers-to-scholars","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/soldiers-to-scholars\/","title":{"rendered":"Soldiers to Scholars"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summer 2014<\/em><\/p>\n

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[lead]Maybe it\u2019s the way he speaks or the way he carries himself. It\u2019s not hard to tell that UCF criminal justice major<\/a> Emerson Bielen served in the military, and he\u2019s never surprised when classmates ask.[\/lead]<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Marine Corps,\u201d he responds. And if they ask if he\u2019s been \u201cyou know, over there,\u201d he tells them he spent nine months in Fallujah, Iraq. \u201cSometimes somebody will ask, \u2018Did you ever kill anybody?\u2019 \u2026 And I answer, \u2018I\u2019m sure most of the people in the military never killed anybody,\u2019 \u201d he says.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the kind of awkward experience shared by student veterans that can separate them from other students on campus.<\/p>\n

Bielen is philosophical about the misconceptions classmates can have about veterans \u2014 ones that he says are shared by society at large. \u201cI think some people do believe we all just killed a lot of people and are messed up in the head,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

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 \u201cprobably no different from any other student \u2014 just trying to stay on top of everything you\u2019ve got to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A Growing Population<\/span><\/h2>\n

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.<\/p>\n

While it\u2019s true that veterans share the challenges faced by traditional students, their circumstances often present additional obstacles, says Paul Viau, director of UCF\u2019s Veterans Academic Resource Center<\/a> (VARC). The center opened three years ago as a one-stop shop for veterans\u2019 resources and has become an academic and social hub for vets, who use its public space and study rooms.<\/p>\n

According to Viau, UCF\u2019s 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\u2019s student veterans are women.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey often have other things going on outside the classroom \u2014 families, jobs or other obligations,\u201d Viau says. \u201cThey\u2019re also at a different level of maturity from the more traditional students, so it can be tough for them to fit in on campus.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A Cultural Transition<\/span><\/h2>\n

[sidebar background=”#eeeeee” position=”right”][photo id=”4530″ title=”U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs psychologist Bryan Batien” alt=”U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs psychologist Brian Batien counsels student veterans at UCF.” width=”100%”]U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs psychologist Bryan Batien, who counsels student veterans at UCF, says the transition from combat to campus can be challenging, but support from the university community can ensure success.[\/photo][\/sidebar]<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven if you leave out the issues of combat, the military is a very structured environment,\u201d says Batien, himself an Army veteran of the Iraq War. \u201cWhen you return to civilian life, when you come to a college campus, those are big adjustments. And a lot of veterans aren\u2019t going to feel like they have much in common with the other students here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stacy Schumpert admits she wasn\u2019t going out of her way to get involved in campus life when she came to UCF to pursue her master\u2019s degree<\/a> in social work<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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, \u201cI was really in my shell, just focused on what I was doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

But an adviser who was a veteran and a member of the campus veterans\u2019 organization, now the Student Veterans of America UCF Chapter, encouraged Schumpert to get involved. \u201cI showed up at a meeting, and the next thing I know I\u2019m the president,\u201d Schumpert says. \u201cIt was that peer-to-peer connection that brought me out of my shell. I think that\u2019s really important for veterans, and that\u2019s what we want to build on.\u201d<\/p>\n

[sidebar background=”#eeeeee” position=”right”][photo id=”4534″ title=”Stacy Schumpert” alt=”Air Force veteran Stacy Schumpert, who served as president of the Student Veterans of American UCF Chapter, returned to college to pursue a master’s degree in social work at the University of Central Florida” width=”100%”]Stacy Schumpert, an Air Force veteran who served as a combat operator in Iraq, returned to college to pursue a master’s degree in social work.[\/photo][\/sidebar]<\/p>\n

The Student Veterans of America UCF Chapter<\/a> and VARC both help to build community with veterans on campus \u2014 a place where vets find support, guidance and an understanding ear, Schumpert says. \u201cI think it\u2019s hard for people to understand if you haven\u2019t served in the military, but this is a group of people you would give your life for,\u201d she says. \u201cI know they\u2019re people I can rely on, because we have shared experiences and values.\u201d<\/p>\n

Conversely, Schumpert admits, it can be tough to find common ground with classmates who haven\u2019t shared those kinds of life experiences.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll see students, especially younger ones, who are wearing sweatpants to presentations or talking on their phones in class,\u201d Schumpert says. \u201cI know I was guilty of the same kinds of things when I was an undergraduate, so I get it. But it still bothers me.\u201d<\/p>\n

If the student veterans sometimes don\u2019t know what to make of their civilian classmates, the opposite seems just as true.<\/p>\n

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A Challenge to Fit In<\/span><\/h2>\n

[photo id=”4718″ title=”Melissa3″ alt=”Army veteran Melissa Smith served as a medic and nurse in Iraq before enrolling at UCF to study biomedical science in hopes of becoming a pediatrician.” width=”100%”]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.[\/photo]<\/p>\n

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\u201cI never announce that I\u2019m a veteran; I don\u2019t wear a camo backpack or anything,\u201d says Melissa Smith. \u201cBut sometimes it comes up.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Smith, who is completing her bachelor\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

When other students learn she not only enlisted at 17 but also served in Iraq, it\u2019s often a conversation stopper. \u201cI get blank stares a lot,\u201d she says. \u201cPeople will say, \u2018What\u2019s Iraq like? Is it really hot?\u2019 I think they just don\u2019t know how to process it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sometimes people will thank her for her service; Smith would rather they didn\u2019t. \u201cIt\u2019s always awkward,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m not sure what it is they\u2019re thanking me for, and I\u2019m never sure how to respond to it. Should I thank them for thanking me?\u201d<\/p>\n

[photo id=”4720″ title=”Lucdwin2″ alt=”Marine Corps veteran Lucdwin Luck studies political science, business, sociology and economics at UCF.” width=”100%”]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.[\/photo]<\/p>\n

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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.<\/p>\n

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\u2019t long stretches far from home or the potential danger, but the unique opportunities it afforded him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Marine Corps was a terrific experience for me,\u201d Luck says. \u201cHere 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\u2019d ever been exposed to before.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those experiences fueled Luck\u2019s thirst to know more about everything. A political science major with minors in business, economics and sociology, Luck is considering a range of careers. \u201cI want to be involved in the community, maybe even run for political office,\u201d he says. \u201cI want to do something where I\u2019m making a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

[callout background=”#eeeeee”]<\/p>\n

Speaking to Student Vets About Their Service<\/span><\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

It’s not rude to ask veterans about their military service, says Bryan Batien, a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs psychologist who counsels UCF student veterans. But it\u2019s important to approach the subject in a way that respects each veteran\u2019s sensitivities.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome veterans don\u2019t like to talk about their military experiences, but many others would be glad to share them,\u201d says Batien, an Army veteran of the Iraq War.\u00a0\u201cBut starting out with a question like, \u2018Were you in combat?\u2019 can be too intrusive, even insulting,\u201d he says. \u201cStart small, just engage in simple conversation and ask open-ended questions like, \u2018What did you do in the military?\u2019 \u2014 something they can answer according to their comfort level. And judge by their response whether it\u2019s something they want to talk about or not.\u201d<\/p>\n

Batien says it\u2019s worth the time to get to know about the experiences of classmates who have served in the military.\u00a0\u201cOne of the things I love about veterans on the campus is the richness [of experience] they bring,\u201d he says. \u201cThese are people who have not only been around the world, but who have witnessed events that have changed the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

[\/callout]<\/p>\n

A Story of Success<\/span><\/h2>\n

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, \u201c[They] are working through it and overcoming it. They\u2019re succeeding.\u201d<\/p>\n

Batien\u2019s presence on campus is provided through the VA\u2019s Veterans Integration to Academic Leadership (VITAL) program \u2014 one of fewer than two dozen VITAL programs around the country. For the student veterans he\u2019s assisted at UCF, Batien says it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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\u2019t learn as easily as he had in his youth, and that a hyperawareness of his surroundings made it difficult to tune out distractions.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was having trouble retaining information,\u201d says Holmes. \u201cI\u2019d listen to a lecture and understand what the professor was saying, but in a few minutes it was gone.\u201d Holmes says he was diagnosed with a learning disability, possibly related to the 12 years he spent as a boxer.<\/p>\n

When he turned to VARC, he says, \u201cI 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 \u2014 it all made a huge difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

While his studies have gotten more challenging, his grades have improved, he says. Holmes is confident he\u2019ll attain his goal of earning a law degree and providing other veterans with legal assistance.<\/p>\n

\u201cI practically live at VARC,\u201d he says. \u201cIt 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

But there are still veterans on campus who haven\u2019t connected to the services that are available to them.<\/p>\n

[photo id=”4722″ title=”DHolmes2″ alt=”Air Force veteran Darrell Holmes benefits from support services at the Veterans Academic Resource Center.” width=”100%”]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.[\/photo]<\/p>\n

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A Hub of Support<\/span><\/h2>\n

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. \u201cJudging from the reaction we get, a lot of [student veterans] don\u2019t know what\u2019s available, which is what we\u2019re working to change,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

[blockquote source=”Jeff MacGibbon, \u201913″ cite=”” color=””]That\u2019s why I volunteered to be a peer mentor. I had a hard time connecting with other students when I got here. I\u2019d like to do what I can to make new student vets have an easier time than I did.[\/blockquote]<\/p>\n

[photo id=”4532″ title=”UCF student veteran Jeff MacGibbon” alt=”Air Force veteran Jeff MacGibbon, ’13, became a peer mentor to help other student veterans transitioning from the armed services to the culture of a college campus.” width=”100%”]After a career in the Air Force, Jeff MacGibbon earned a degree in business management at UCF.[\/photo]<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s easier for veterans to open up if they\u2019re talking to other veterans,\u201d says Jeff MacGibbon, \u201913<\/strong>, an Air Force veteran and business management graduate. \u201cThat\u2019s why I volunteered to be a peer mentor. I had a hard time connecting with other students when I got here. I\u2019d like to do what I can to make new student vets have an easier time than I did.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bielen, also a peer mentor, says even when the veterans he reaches out to seem reluctant to seek help, at least they know there\u2019s a place to turn. \u201cWe\u2019ll talk about what it\u2019s like being on campus, being older than everybody else and how weird it is or whatever \u2014 really just trying to make that connection,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

VARC also hosts a dedicated orientation for incoming student veterans, whether they\u2019re using veterans benefits or not. \u201cUCF is a big place,\u201d Lorine Cisch Taylor of Transfer and Transition Services told a group of 16 new students at a recent VARC orientation. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of, \u2018That\u2019s not my department, you need to go across campus.\u2019 There\u2019s a lot of red tape. My job is to help you cut through that red tape.\u201d<\/p>\n

Batien introduced himself at the orientation, tossing two foam rubber hand grenades into the crowd \u2014 \u201cstress relievers,\u201d he said to laughter \u2014 and told students not to hesitate in turning to him or using available services on campus.<\/p>\n

Before marching the new students to registration, Viau encouraged them to use VARC\u2019s lounge and study rooms \u2014 \u201cthe best-kept secret on campus\u201d \u2014 and shared the mantra of VARC staff and volunteers: Use the help that\u2019s here for you.<\/p>\n

His closing words were of the sort familiar to anyone who has worn a military uniform: \u201cYour mission now is to finish your degree.\u201d<\/p>\n

[photo id=”4535″ title=”Grenade-shaped stress relief squeeze toy” alt=”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.” width=”100%”]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. [\/photo]<\/p>\n

[callout background=”#eeeeee”]<\/p>\n

Soldiers to Scholars:<\/span><\/h2>\n

UCF Student Veterans Serve the Community<\/span><\/h3>\n

Created in 1996 by former state Rep. Alzo Reddick, the UCF Soldiers to Scholars program works in conjunction with the GI Bill to help honorably discharged veterans achieve their higher education goals. In exchange for five hours per week mentoring at-risk youth, participants are eligible for financial support for tuition, textbooks and housing. Their community service includes walking children to and from school, facilitating an after-school education program and assisting with regular health fairs run with support from UCF\u2019s School of Social Work and the College of Nursing. Available to those seeking undergraduate<\/a>, graduate and doctoral<\/a> degrees, the program, which operates under the direction of UCF\u2019s Defense Transition Services, serves about 35 student veterans per year. \u201cIt\u2019s a win-win situation,\u201d says Charles Hite, the program\u2019s associate director. \u201cThey get their college degree, and they give back to the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

For more information, visit soldierstoscholars.org<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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