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I would like to start by saying thank you to the board of trustees for the opportunity to speak tonight and to
represent my fellow military students and veterans here at Clark College.
I've spent a significant amount of time working with Clark's Veterans Affairs Department.
They're one of two Veterans Affairs Departments that I've spent time with in fact.
And what I can honestly say about Clark's VA Department is that they have been extremely informative, they
have been very efficient in processing benefits, and they have gone out their way to find additional
assistance that I have needed. As Mr. [Bill] Belden stated, last quarter I found myself in a different position
when my tuition assistance fell through. Within three days of speaking with Clark's VA Office about my
situation, I received a phone call in which I was informed that Clark had made the decision to pay for my
tuition for the quarter. I can't express how much that meant to me and the statement that I feel it made about
Clark's commitment to their veterans. My time in the reserves I've seen quite a few veterans and active-duty
members coming off active duty and using the reserves as a transition into civilian life.
As they transition, they face many struggles. One of the major struggles that they face these days is trying
to find a job. In addition to that, they're used to having a strong support system around them
and feeling like they are a member of a team. Suddenly they're completely on their own.
Most of these veterans have benefits that they have earned. However, they often don't know how or where
to begin using these benefits. I believe that in order for these veterans to be successful
it's crucial that they take advantage of the educational benefits that they have earned.
I also believe that as a community we owe it to our veterans to assist them in utilizing these benefits.
And I believe that Clark College has a continuing opportunity to be a part of the solution.
I learned that Clark has plans to create a new Veterans Center, where veterans can come to learn about
their benefits and also connect with other veterans. I hope that the college continues to move in this direction
and move towards assisting veterans in every way possible.