The first day of Freshman year I will never forget. I had just quit a good job making $28/hour. After my first class, Craft in America, I thought I was going to die. I went down to the Student Veterans Center in Norman Village and had a panic attack. I had 4 members of the Student Veterans Association ask me if I was ok and how they could help.
This interaction has defined my life as a student veteran here at TU. I’m a Senior now, and I go out of my way to help people, not just other veterans, but I do that too. With the support of the Veterans Success Center and the other veterans on campus, I have become a better, happier person. Between social activities like our tailgates during football season and our community work within the veteran community, I know we make a difference in each other’s lives and in the lives of veterans around us. As a non-traditional student, it can be hard to connect with your new peer group, which is typically around 10 years younger than yourself, having a built-in similar peer group who understands the pressures and responsibilities you have is immeasurable.