Veterans Helping Veterans

Student Veterans at Cal State Fullerton Gather May 4 for Inaugural Dinner

April 30, 2008 :: No. 245

From 2004-05, Joseph Chang was a typical college student, attending classes as a human services major at Cal State Fullerton. Then he was deployed to Iraq.

When he returned to campus to resume his studies, Chang wanted to connect with other veterans to exchange information on military benefits, to talk about adjusting to returning home and to compare stories.

Because Cal State Fullerton didn't have a student veterans group, Chang started one last September.

The culmination of the Student Veterans Association's first academic year will be "Veterans Appreciation Night" Sunday, May 4, at the university's Golleher Alumni House. The 6-9 p.m. program will consist of dinner, music, recognition of the university's student veterans and acknowledgement of those who will be graduating in May and/or deploying to the Middle East this summer and fall.

Confirmed attendees for Sunday's event include 37 veterans and 15 candidates for graduation, plus their family members, friends and professors. Among the soon-to-be graduates, three are being deployed abroad.

"When you're in the military, they serve as your family. It's a very close connection," Chang said. "When vets return, they're still looking for that sort of connection — a peer group. And it's helpful in a university environment to have someone to compare notes with about the GI Bill, transferable units and career choices, that sort of thing."

Five vets showed up at the first meeting of Cal State Fullerton's Student Veterans Association. Today, the group has more than 40 members.

"I received an internship through the Women's Center, and they encouraged me to start the group," he said. "So I set out to find fellow vets. With the guys, I'd just approach someone with really short hair," he laughed. "With women, it was a little harder to figure out if they were vets."

The group meets weekly, and members discuss problems, offering support and recommendations. Most members of the group are older than their classmates — in their mid-20s to mid-30s.

"We focus on helping one another academically, providing counsel to each other and offering career advice," Chang said. "In the military, you have a sort of ‘do or die' mindset — seeking help can often be seen as a weakness. But here, we can talk to one another.

"It's also helpful because most of us have been deployed and we speak the same military language. We have our own military shorthand for weapons, vehicles and that sort of thing. We don't have to decode it for one another. We understand each other because often, we've been in similar situations."

The May 4 event is a way for us to honor our military personnel and recognize them for their achievements, not only as students, but as soldiers," said Chang. "It's a way for us to say 'thank you' to them for their service."

Media Contacts:
Valerie Orleans, Public Affairs, 657-278-4852 or vorleans@fullerton.edu
Joseph Chang, Adult Reentry Center, 657-278-3889

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