Israel Najarro
President
Student Veteran Association
The student veteran experience at college is something I feel is incredibly unique and which isn’t reaching its full potential.
The uniqueness comes from a shared experience over the span of our careers in the military which has given us certain skills that set us apart from our younger peers in the classroom. These skills include task orientation, attention to detail, upstanding loyalty to a group, and the ability to take up a leadership position while providing purpose and motivation regardless of the task.
The traits brought out of us through the military could be used to great benefit by colleges across the country but oftentimes aren’t for a variety reasons.
One reason comes from the nature of the military itself. It is truly a culture detached from that which it defends and many times when a veteran comes out of the military it’s difficult to reconnect with the newfound civilian world.
This happens a lot in college due to age discrepancy between the veteran and their peers and because of that disconnect the veteran finds it less attractive to take an active part in campus life.
That’s where student veterans organizations like ours are so needed because it provides that atmosphere of welcoming and understanding to allow a veteran a foundation to build off of and hopefully encourages them to give campus life a try and maybe they can find their niche to bring their experiences and knowledge to benefit someone else.
Another reason comes from the culture of college itself which often fails to see the potential in their students and use a one size fits all approach that ignores the value of the veteran in particular.
It’s difficult for some teachers to recognize some student veterans as potential peers with information that could be vital to increasing the understanding of those around the classroom.
Additionally, the enrollment process at many universities is insufficient to connect veterans to services and organizations which they want to be a part of, depriving these groups of much needed expertise and input. Deep down, veterans want to be engaged in their community so it’s up to us as student and faculty leaders to help facilitate the process.
Fortunately, Florida International University has shown dedication to their veteran community.
They have sought out input from student veterans to develop best practices to ensure that our population has the resources and tools it needs to be successful in the classroom and beyond.
Our student veterans deserve no less and it is up to both sides to continue work towards providing our heroes the opportunity to reach their full potential while here at FlU.
DISCLAIMER:
Letters to the Editor are not written by FIUSM Staff. They are submitted by readers of The Beacon. These views are separate from editorials and reflect individual perspectives of contributing writers and/or members of the University community.
Image retrieved from Flickr.
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