On Nov. 11, each year, America honors veterans on Veterans Day. At Madison College, Veterans Resources Services (VRS) honors them each day by providing support for college readjustment success.
Readjustment starts with reintegration from military life into an academic environment, which starts when the choice to exercise G.I. education benefits is made. Upon enrollment, those who serve, served and their families receive instruction from one of the “Top 10 Military Friendly” colleges according to the “Veteran Services” page found on the college’s website.
Madison College shares its military friendly success through VRS Associate Manager Samantha Moen, who has a passion for welcoming veterans on campus, which is part of her role as a leader and as employee of the “Retention Initiative and Student Engagement Program (RISE),” provided through the Madison College TRIO Student Supports Program.
“I love this job because I get to merge two of my passions together, being a veteran and education,” Moen said regarding her position amongst the Madison College veteran community. “I know that education can break down barriers and want to be a resource to veterans.”
Moen not only works at Madison College but serves as a member of the Wisconsin Air National Guard and has been for over 19 years. Moen works in maintenance and performs x-rays and ultrasounds on F-16 and F-35 fighter jets, who inspects aircraft for cracks, corrosion and delamination. Moen also deployed three times, including two war zone deployments.
“My favorite memory from service is volunteering for the Badger Honor Flight,” Moen said. “Being an escort for World War II or Vietnam War veterans, while being a fellow military member myself, is a humbling experience.”
Moen noted that Madison College received the “2023-24 No. 1 Large Community College for Veterans Award” and that VRS, as a network of readjustment support, plays a major part for providing success. VRS provides services such as advising, helps navigate coursework selection, provides benefit guidance, application assistance, counseling, peer support, information about and location of the Student Veterans Club, which greets members of the military community with a resource center where all can visit on campus. Moen serves as a support beacon amongst a community with specific needs above and beyond the standard college enrollment and attendance confusion.
“I want to help them navigate the higher education system and to learn how to pinpoint their goals, teach them to advocate for themselves and connect them with resources that make it all possible,” Moen said.
Military friendly represents not only veterans, but spouses and their families who receive benefits. Military friendly includes those actively serving and members of the National Guard and Reserves, which oftentimes gets overlooked when recognizing those who are part of the military demographic. Moen, working side-by-side with veterans and service members, helps them succeed by providing a friendly advising environment, who fondly recalled an experience working with a married couple.
“One of my favorite moments was during my first semester,” Moen shared. “I got the opportunity to work with a husband-wife couple that were both veterans and both first generation college students.”
As another military friendly accolade, Madison College boasts being the title holder of the “2023-24 Military Friendly Spouse School.” VRS also provides services to those who do not serve but receive college benefits, which is an experience Moen shares fond memories of. Collectively, student veterans, service members, spouses and their dependents face the crucible of reintegration success into college life and Moen guides them through the process.
“Veterans and other military connected students sacrifice so much for our country,” said Moen. “I want to pay it back in a small way and thank them by helping them achieve success in this next phase of life.”
Madison College, through VRS, provides a pathway for overcoming barriers to success student veterans and service members face by offering opportunities for members of the military friendly community to make lasting memories. Madison College, through Moen’s collaboration with student veterans and servicemembers, invests in success by going above and beyond as a Top 10 Military Friendly institution and meeting sociological needs. Barriers await those who serve in the military when returning home and Moen meets them where they are at and guides them from the community college readjustment phase into the University of Wisconsin classroom as transfers.
“I learned a lot about advising during my two years with them. They were so patient and kind,” said Moen recalling her story about working with a married couple both attending Madison College. “It was a wonderful experience. I’m proud to say that they are both now students at UW-Madison. Seeing our veterans and military connected students achieve their goals makes it all worthwhile.”
Friendly military staff like Moen and military friendly campuses like Truax connect the student veteran, servicemember, their families and those who support their success. On Veterans Day 2023, Madison College offers pathways for building connecting links and opportunities for those who identify as military culture an open door to the freedom of academic expression to explore the next chapter of their career. Madison College’s military friendly commitment leads the United States by placing those who served and serve in alignment with those seeking usage of hard-earned benefits, which in return builds trust and leaders who enter the workforce successfully upon completion and transfer to their next destination.
“Students succeed with VRS because they feel connected and valued,” Moen stated. “We work hard to create an environment that is inviting, informative and dedicated to supporting veterans and military connected students.”
As a military friendly service, VRS works together with the Veteran Education Benefits team, which consists of two support staff who served. Ryan Murphy and Allan Locia as a team ensure students, whom they work with, know their benefits, take the classes they need for their program and are able to get credit for their military training and experiences. To advance veteran success, the team provides academic support and also promotes using the Vets Club, which provides outlets for social, recreation and service activities for supporting veterans, service members and their families.
Moen and her team encourage all who are a part of the military friendly community of student veterans, service members and their spouses and families to support the Vets Club by getting involved, which meets on Thursdays in room D1673 at the Truax campus from 10:30-11:30 a.m. If you are new to the Truax campus, need success support as a student veteran or service member, visit the Veterans Resource Center where Moen’s office is located. Congratulations to the VRS team for your success and hard work supporting and serving those who served and continue to serve while attending college and Happy Veterans Day.