At Stevenson University , veterans are more than welcomed — they ’ re appreciated for their service , and they ’ re supported throughout their education , including being prepared for a non-military career .
MEETING VETERANS
At Stevenson University , veterans are more than welcomed — they ’ re appreciated for their service , and they ’ re supported throughout their education , including being prepared for a non-military career .
As Mark Hergan , Vice President , Enrollment , says , “ We ’ re committed to veteran students . They ’ ve done something special for the country , so why wouldn ’ t we do something special for them ?”
To explore the ways Stevenson recruits and supports its veteran students , Ventures talked to a student and an alumnus to see how their SU experiences have been — and learned how they , in turn , are doing their part for other veteran students .
Making the Transition
Christian “ Mac ” Manning ( interdisciplinary studies ‘ 15 ) joined the U . S . Marine Corps in 2010 after an unsuccessful brief stint at another college , and after serving , he decided to give college another try . “ After looking around at a few schools , I had heard that Stevenson was starting a football team . This intrigued me because I played football in high school . I was also looking for a university that I could perform well in . As an undergraduate , I started for the football team for three seasons and at the same time found myself performing well academically for the first time in my life .”
He says that for veterans , returning to civilian life can be difficult . “ The Marine Corps was the greatest accomplishment in my life at that time . It can be hard to relate to other students because 18-year-old freshmen do not understand what it ’ s like to be in military service .”
Yet because he joined the football team , he says , his transition was a little easier than most . “ Playing a sport gave me a sense of purpose again . You wake up and go to practice , train with the team . Your teammates become your brothers in many regards , and that was a familiar feeling from the Marine Corps . I believe that because I became part of the SU community , I was able to enjoy my time here .”
Matthew Morris , who will graduate with a degree in business information systems in December 2016 , had a similar start to his college experience . After a semester at Covenant College in Georgia that ended with a low GPA , he joined the U . S . Army and served for seven years . Because of his prior educational effort , he wasn ’ t sure where he would be accepted — until he came to Stevenson .
“ I came here on instant decision day ,” he recalls . “ They looked at my packet , they looked at the courses I ’ d taken , and then one of the admissions counselors brought me into a meeting room and said , ‘ We think you ’ ve worked hard enough to earn a second chance .’ ”
Morris says he ’ s paying that faith back in full . One advantage the second time around , he notes , is the discipline instilled by the military . Another is the set of tools he ’ d learned that have made him a more successful student .
“ When you go into the military , they ’ re going to put you where they need you ,” he explains . “ So coming out
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