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Student Veterans Association

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By Katie See
Talent Acquisition Specialist

On April 29, 2017, the APUS Veterans Center in Charles Town, West Virginia, celebrated its first anniversary. For veterans needing the tools to transition into the civilian workforce, the Veterans Center is an excellent resource.

The idea for the Veterans Center originated when APUS recognized the need to establish a means of connecting with veterans in the West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania regions. The Center also provides a facility for the Student Veterans Association (SVA) chapter.

George Vukovich, Director of Veterans Outreach at American Public University System, says “having our Veterans Center on campus indicates our flexibility as an online institution, and that we are willing to reach out to veterans not affiliated with APUS to provide them with opportunities to succeed.”

The Veterans Center is one of the university’s newest resources and is open to all veterans, whether or not they are students or alumni. The Center helps veterans to use social media and build online profiles on sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. Veterans also learn how to convert military jargon into civilian descriptions of their experience in conventional resumes.

Additional resources available at the Veterans Center include:

  • Weekend academic boot camps, involving reading, writing and math comprehension skills
  • Resume writing seminars
  • Veteran benefit briefings, including how to use the GI Bill

The success of the new Center is due to “the willingness and vision of Dr. Powell, Dr. Boston and John Aldrich, VP of Military, Veterans & Educational Partnerships, to give the green light to dedicate a building on campus for the Veterans Center, which has resulted in outcomes for the University and the local community,” says Vukovich.

As a result of the services that the Veterans Center offers, everyone benefits from the trainings and resources it provides. Some veterans have enrolled in university courses; others have not.

According to Vukovich, “there are big changes in store for 2017, including an SVA road show to meet as many chapter members as possible.” These developments will allow his team to learn about veterans’ issues and concerns and give SVA members the opportunity to meet with APUS faculty.

Vukovich will join the University’s Military Outreach team for the road show, which will travel to Ft. Walton Beach, Florida; Kansas City, Missouri; and Norfolk, Virginia.

In addition to his role at APUS, Vukovich is also co-chair of the Martinsburg Four-State Community Veterans Engagement Board (CVEB), as a result of the events at APUS’s Veterans Center. The purpose of the CVEB is to bring together community stakeholders, as well as service providers, from around the region to assist veterans and their families.

Veterans learn about Veterans Center events and resources through the CVEB’s networking and monthly calendars. The Martinsburg VA Center is also a great asset to the veteran community.

This is only the beginning for the Veterans Center and the services it provides. The Center demonstrates the core values of APUS, including being adaptive, responsive and innovative. There is much to look forward to as the Veterans Center enters its second year and continues its mission to provide all area veterans with valuable resources.