By Gabrielle Martin, Staff Reporter.
As discussions over America’s mistreatment of its returning military forces continues, Delta is being recognized as a military friendly school that is attempting to help veterans on campus earn a degree, participate in the community and more.
Beth Alford (Chief Alford) is Delta’s Veterans Services Coordinator. She served on active duty in the Navy from 2001-2007. She served aboard the USS O’BANNON and also on Naval Air Station Key West located on Boca Chica Key in Key West, Florida. She is now in the Navy active reserve and recently served a tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2013. Aflord explained a few of the ways that Delta strives to show gratitude to veterans and accommodate them
Delta offers priority registration for veterans, in-state tuition, and awards credit for prior military experience. The college also assists them in becoming acquainted with community resources such as Michigan Veterans Trust Fund (an emergency grant), Great Lakes Bay College Resource Center and the Veterans Administration hospital in Saginaw.
Because of the various resources that Delta offers veterans, it has been designated as a “Military Friendly” school. This designation, given by Victory Media, is awarded to the top fifteen percent of colleges, universities, and trade schools nationwide that offer resources to veterans. One reason that this is so important to Delta is because Victory Media produces a magazine each year that has a list of the military friendly schools and what services they offer. According to Alford, this can be one of the deciding factors for veterans when leaving the military and choosing a school to attend.
This is the third consecutive year that Delta College has received the designation and the college is continuing to expand its efforts to be military friendly. This past summer the college added a Veterans Resources Center in the basement where veterans can receive assistance to sign up for classes and study. The area also has two computers available for veterans to use.
Several veteran students at Delta work in the Veterans Resources Center. One of these students is Jim Niederstadt, 49, who is a veteran of the United States Army. Niederstadt served in the Army from 1984-1988 in the 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks in Oahu, Hawaii.
He started at Delta College in the fall of 2013 and hopes to graduate in the winter of 2015 with an Associate’s Degree in Construction Management. After he graduates, Niederstadt plans to transfer to Ferris to get his Bachelor’s Degree.
It isn’t just the veterans who benefit from Delta College being military friendly.
“Having veterans be able to attend here adds diversity,” says Niederstadt.
Don Shepard, 26, also works with Veterans Services. Shepard is a Computer Information Technology major as well as an Army veteran. He served in Korea from 2007-2008 and at Fort Polk in Louisiana from 2008-2009. He then did a tour of duty in Baghdad for a year and returned to Fort Polk from 2010-2011. Don also plans on graduating after the winter 2015 semester.
In addition to a Veteran Resource Center being added to Delta, a new organization is in the works – the Delta College Military Association. The DCMA was the brainchild of Chris Davis, 28, a student employee for Veterans Services and a Marine Corps veteran. When Davis started at Delta in the winter of 2014, there was no organization for veterans; but he felt that this was something to pursue. He and Shepard laid out the proposal and the organization is now set to have a meeting on Nov. 17 from 11 a.m. until 12 p.m. in A035. All veterans and military personnel are invited to attend the meeting.
Davis says that the Delta College Military Association will be helping with community projects such as cleaning up monuments as well as working with the Michigan Patriot Guard and Forgotten Eagles.
“We want our service projects to have meaning to veterans and reflect well on Delta’s standing as a military friendly institution,” says Davis, “but we also want to have fun with the service projects that are on campus and show that veterans have a humorous side as well.”
One of the ways that the DCMA will be having some fun is with a friendly competition between the military branches during a bake sale. At the bake sale, which is still in the works, the various branches will compete to see who sells the most baked goods. The money raised will then go to support some of the things they want to do on campus.
Chris says that the opportunities available to him at Delta have helped make him a better person and more prepared for the workforce.
One more way that Delta is showing its appreciation to veterans is by hosting an event for them on Veterans Day, Nov. 11. Tables will be set up in the hallways from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. These tables will have various services and resources that veterans may find useful such as academic advisers and disability services.
“We’re here to smooth the transition to the classroom and help veterans meet their academic goals,” says Alford.
In addition, veterans will be able to register for gifts from the bookstore, Red Brix, and the Fitness Center. To have a chance at winning, veterans need to register at Veterans Services in B100.
