Since 1944, the GI Bill has helped millions of veterans go to college, graduate school, and other training programs. Under this bill veterans can go to an institution of their choice at little or no cost.
William Peace University is happy to help veterans further their education post military, and faculty, staff and fellow students help them adjust to college life.
Dana Stephens, a WPU admissions counselor, works closely with veterans to make sure that they have a smooth transition from serving in the military to civilian life. She expressed that quite a few service members choose to use their GI bill at WPU.
“Currently in the fall of 2017, we have 25 veterans or reserve members, but 51 students overall that use our GI Bill or are military affiliated in some way,” Stephens said.
Along with faculty and staff being supportive, there is an organization here on campus that gives veterans an opportunity to support each other.
“We have one group that just started this fall,” Stephens said. “It’s a Student-Veteran Association. It is to help veterans transition and give them comradery that they sometimes miss.”
Shafi L. Goodwin served in the United States Marine Corps from 2013-2017. He decided to come to WPU to pursue his undergraduate degree. His overall experience at William Peace has been exceptional.
“Thus far, the staff here at William Peace University has been very supportive, caring and compassionate. I truly appreciate the small class sizes [and] allowing professors to place more focus and attention to their student,” Goodwin said.
Although he is coming from a rigid structure that has been set by the military, Shafi has been able to transition in well with fellow students.
“Despite the fact that most of my fellow students are not in my age range, they’ve been respectable and easy to get along with. They are mature,” Goodwin said.
After Shafi graduates, he plans on attending Law School to study constitutional law.
Another service member that has decided to be a part of the WPU family is Justin Coufal. He was in the United States Navy for five years as a Corpsman and he spent his entire time in a Marine Corps Infantry Unit. He is motivated here and has big plans after he graduates..
“I am hoping to get employed with a marketing firm and I am also starting the process to go to grad school for my MBA in Bio Science Management,” Coufal said.
Coming out of the military can be a big transition for a person who has served for several years. They were proud to serve their country and still hold a lot of the military values that they were taught while in service. Veteran’s Day is a day to recognize those who served in the military. Here are few things to remember:
- Do not refer to service members collectively has soldiers. Soldiers are those that are in the Army. Saying veteran, service members, or members of the military is preferred.
- Do not say happy Veteran’s Day. Saying “In honor of Veteran’s Day” or “In recognition of Veteran’s Day” will suffice.
- There is a difference between Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day. Veteran’s Day is to recognize those who have served in the military. Memorial Day is to honor those that have lost their lives in service. It is a common mistake that is made.
- Some veteran’s prefer not to be “thanked for their service.” Saying this phrase can be seen as an empty thank you or just something to say because it is politically correct. Some veterans prefer people to actually have a conversation with them about that they did in the military. Break the barrier a bit. For more information on why “thank you for your service” is not preferred, click here.
William Peace admissions office is celebrating Veteran’s Day on November 10, 2017 from 11:00am-1:00pm. The event is to honor the students and staff here at WPU.