For the past decade, The University of Texas at Dallas Military and Veteran Center (MVC) has been home to student veterans or military-affiliated students, connecting them to programs and resources to be successful in college and beyond.
Jessica Thompson MBA’20, MS’21, who recently was commissioned as the first cyber warfare operations officer in the U.S. Space Force, credits the MVC for helping her transition to college student life and supporting her as she moved back into the military.
“I gained many valuable leadership skills as the president of the UT Dallas chapter of Student Veterans of America but, more than that, I found many new friends and a sense of community that helped me find my way,” she said.
The MVC, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this month, has grown from an idea birthed by students to a hub that has assisted thousands of former and current military members and their family members.
Mike Rials BS’12, MS’17 was one of the student veterans who pushed for an office that would help them with their benefits and provide other services.
“We knew there were tons of veterans on campus,” he said. “What we wanted was a centralized place where those veterans could get all types of services.”
After considering their requests, Dr. Darrelene Rachavong, vice president for student affairs at the time, began looking into opening a center on campus. She said it made sense to have a center that would act as an information clearinghouse for former military members.
Yolandé Evans, who now serves as assistant vice president for student transition initiatives at UTD, played a key role in getting the center started. In just three months she was able to hire staff and find a space so the center could open in the fall.
The Veteran Services Center, as it was first called, officially opened in the Eugene McDermott Library on Sept. 14, 2012.
“We thought that if we built it, they would come. But that did not happen immediately,” Evans said. “It didn’t take very long, though, for the veterans to realize that the center was a space where they could feel free to be themselves and receive the necessary resources to be successful.”
KeeShaun Coffey BA’14, MS’17 served as president of the student veterans organization when the center opened. He took on the task of connecting with student veterans and encouraging them to take advantage of the center’s services.
He said that while the center initially was focused on coordinating veteran benefits, it quickly became a spot for connecting and collaborating.
“We had shared life experiences that helped the transition to be a little bit easier,” he said. “We wanted vets to feel free to be who they really were.”
Much of the center’s growth began after Dr. Lisa Adams was hired to lead the organization in 2014.
“We thought that if we built it, they would come. … It didn’t take very long … for the veterans to realize that the center was a space where they could feel free to be themselves and receive the necessary resources to be successful.”
Yolandé Evans, assistant vice president for student transition initiatives at UT Dallas
Adams, a U.S. Air Force veteran, developed new programs, such as Peer Advisors for Veteran Education (PAVE) and Green Zone, that holistically supported students. PAVE matches new student veterans with peer advisors, while Green Zone training aims to establish a University-wide network of staff and faculty who shape a veteran-inclusive campus culture.
“Before Lisa came on, the center was quite a bit smaller. Lisa created places for us to just meet and share all of our experiences, to work on projects or to just study,” said Malicka Modgil BS’16, BS’16, MS’18, MBA’18, who engaged with the center from 2014 to 2018.
In 2017 the center moved to its present location in the Student Services Building Addition (SSA 14.250) and changed its name to the Military and Veteran Center to include students who might still be serving or might be connected to the military through their parents or spouses.
Adams wanted to increase the emphasis on academics, while also providing emotional and logistical support.
“By developing relationships and providing consistent support through networking events and cord ceremonies, we are able to recognize not just military contributions, but academic achievements and future opportunities as well,” she said.
While the MVC was able to continue its mission during the COVID-19 pandemic, Adams said they hope to increase the number of military-connected students who visit the center’s office.
“Our immediate goal is to reconnect with students after a two-year pandemic that disrupted our traditional college operations,” she said. “Long term, we have begun reaching out to the community colleges to ensure that those students know that the Military and Veteran Center is a great place for students to get connected to UTD and to other veterans.”
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