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A Moment of Reflection: Key Takeaways from Working with Student Veterans
HigherEdMilitary
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Background
In the winter of 2016 I found myself on the job hunt. As I was looking at opportunities in higher education, a job description immediately caught my eye. That job was the INVITE (Implementation of a Nursing Veterans Initiative to Transform Education) Recruitment and Retention Specialist at The College of St. Scholastica. INVITE's primary goal was to increase the number of military veterans entering and ultimately graduating from the college's traditional nursing program. Before starting the job, not only did I have no experience working with veterans in higher education, I had minimal experience interacting with military veterans in any capacity! Still, I always had a deep sense of respect and gratitude for our service members that compelled me to pursue the position.
Laying the Foundation
When I started the position I fully dedicated myself to learning as much as I could about the military population. I found that a few methods were helpful in achieving a high level of workable knowledge. First, I had three fantastic colleagues in the program who were Air Force Veterans. During my tenure we spent hours talking about the military. I asked many questions and they eagerly answered. Similarly, I would listen to students. Sometimes I would be in a room full of veterans and I would not say a word. I would simply listen to them recount their military experiences. Like my faculty colleagues, students were also willing to enthusiastically answer my questions. The job also involved community networking and event attendance. This provided me the ability to meet with countless veteran-related groups in the state of Minnesota. Individuals from these groups were also immensely helpful. Despite not having veteran status myself, they welcomed me with open arms and provided great insight. In short, I truly became a student. Before I could be effective in my position, I had to learn. I was constantly working to gather, internalize, and then apply the important information I gained. While colleagues regularly provided me feedback about executing the position duties well, the most rewarding development was when it started coming directly from students.
Takeaways
As my tenure progressed, INVITE students began telling me the ways they felt I effectively supported them. It was truly humbling and below are some of the themes that emerged as they shared their appreciation. I share these in the hope that you can apply some of these ideas in your daily work!
"Your email response time is insane."
The students enjoyed how quickly I got back to them. Whether it was by phone or email, they knew they would receive a response the day they contacted me. They admitted they were not used to such a high level of customer service and were happy to know they could easily reach me.
"You seem to know the right person on campus for every situation."
In many instances, I was not the person that could resolve a student's issue or answer their question. Still, students considered me a referral specialist. Whatever their scenario, I typically knew the best person to contact and would provide their contact information. Students said I was a good first person to contact so that I could facilitate them getting what they need.
"Unlike some people, you always follow up."
Veterans want to work with people who are reliable. If I said I would do something, I always did it until there was a resolution. During that time, I would maintain regular contact with students if there were delays or setbacks. They always knew what to expect because of transparency.
"You all (INVITE staff) treat us like adults."
This one really speaks for itself. They enjoyed the way our team communicated and worked with them. Veterans bring in impressive experiences and skills. You cannot communicate with them in the exact same way you would an 18-year old straight out of high school. My personal approach was to think of myself more as a peer working alongside them to help them get to graduation. Admittedly, with the younger traditional students I viewed my role as more of an authority figure.
"We don't care if you are a vet!"
Debatably, the greatest compliment I received was that they didn't care I was a civilian. They noted that I was reliable and trustworthy. That caused them to respect me and my veteran-status was completely irrelevant. My veteran coworker complimented me with the line: "Jeff, you are now an adopted vet."
Conclusion
Recently--with mixed emotions--I decided to take a new position at a different institution. My tenure at St. Scholastica confirmed my initial suspicion when I applied for the job. It has been an absolute joy and a privilege working with student veterans. They are a talented, driven, entertaining group of individuals that have a lot to offer.
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