Eric弄脏, assistant director for Student Veteran Support Services at UMKC, oversees the 安逸区这是一个校园退伍军人资源中心. His background gives him keen insight into student veterans’ needs.
而在美国.S. Marine Corps, Gormly was deployed to Hurricane Katrina, Iraq and Peru. When he completed his service, Gormly, a Kansas City native, took advantage of his G.I. Bill and enrolled in community college to pursue a degree in law enforcement and worked in the Veterans’ Affairs office.
“After a couple of semesters my academic advisor said, ‘You talk a lot about helping vets. 你确定要去执法部门工作吗?’”
He realized that helping veterans was his calling. Gormly has spent 10 years working in higher education establishing programs to make the transition to college easier for veterans, 帮助他们感受校园生活的一部分.
“Veterans go from a highly organized structure in the military to no structure at the university. 我们帮助他们过渡.” —
戈姆里说:“重返职场会有文化冲击. “Veterans go from a highly organized structure in the military to no structure at the university. 我们帮助他们过渡.”
In order to be better informed of veteran enrollment, there is an opportunity for applicants to identify veteran status on the UMKC admission application. Gormly’s office uses that to contact and connect with students who might benefit from services his office provides. While that form provides some basic information about veterans on campus, Gormly recognizes that all veterans do not have the same needs.
“We know who receives benefits, but there’s a wide range of student veterans,” Gormly says. ”也, the military doesn’t do a great job explaining the benefits, and some veterans may not be clear on how to use them.”
The 安逸区 can be a great place for veterans to find resources. 位于学生会, the 安逸区 also provides a comfortable spot on campus for military-affiliated students to study, 与员工和彼此进行社交和联系.
There are 156 new veteran students at UMKC this semester.
“我给每一个即将入学的学生打电话，”戈姆里说. “我们把它推出去. 他们不需要问. 他们可能需要帮助来建立校园联系. For some students, groups are better, for others one-on-one meetings work best. 我们试图找到最合适的人选.”
不管他们的偏好如何, Gormly notes that having a visible location on campus has made a significant difference in the way they can provide services with a variety of resources beyond being a place to relax and do homework.
“There are computers available, and students are welcome to come in to study or do Zoom classes. 我们有导师, academic coaches and a 32-inch display with resources including veterans’ organizations on campus and information on the 袋鼠储藏室.”
He says with students back on campus this semester, 他们能够举办更多的活动, 包括志愿服务.
“There are many opportunities for student veterans to get involved. 酋长队的每场主场比赛, 20 student veterans volunteer with the Chiefs organization for pre-game activities.”
Building these connections is critical to student veterans’ success. Kavitha Reddy, BLA ’99, MD ’00, is associate director of 员工整体健康 in the Veterans’ Health Administration Office of Patient-Centered Care and Cultural Transformation and assistant professor in Emergency Medicine at the Washington University School of Medicine. 在她的职业生涯中, she has been an advocate for veterans’ health through a variety of resources in and outside the hospital setting.
“Places like the 安逸区 are perfect places for veterans to be proactive about their health and well-being,雷迪说。. “For the men and women who went into the service relatively young – often 18 years old – they are facing a lot of new challenges along with mental and physical health issues. 平民生活似乎支离破碎, 照顾好自己, 心, 身体和精神, 非常重要
“The university establishing a safe space that is visible on campus is significant.”
Gormly对未来的机遇感到兴奋.
“老兵要面对很多，”他说. “They are often confronted with the idea that veterans have trouble adapting, but being in the military often helps us to adapt. These students bring a different level of commitment with maturity, motivation and persistence.
Our office provides training for faculty and staff to understand a vet’s 心set. There are so many positive qualities that they bring to campus. 我们希望扩大.”
For more information on services or to volunteer contact Eric弄脏 at gormlyea@dilidally.net or 816-235-5599.