San Jacinto College opens Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success

 Jeannie Peng-Armao -- August 8, 2012

PASADENA, Texas — San Jacinto College recently unveiled its largest student-veteran initiative yet with the opening of three Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success at each campus location.

 The centers were built out of existing spaces in need of renovation and remodeling. They were designed to provide veterans with an area of refuge, support, counseling, and general assistance.

“My veteran center experience has helped me through the toughest part of starting my college career and has set me up on my road to success,” said Martin Rosberg, a San Jacinto College student and service member of the U.S. Marine Corps.

Each center is equipped with a small kitchen and break room, multimedia displays, computer work stations, seating area, conference area, an on-site veterans assistant and a Wall of Honor remembering service members. The South Campus center has 2,305 square feet of space; Central Campus has 2,163 square feet; and North Campus has 2,000 square feet.

“Our focus has been to hasten the completion of our three veteran student success centers through unifying community and corporate support,” said Ruth Keenan, executive director for advancement with the San Jacinto College Foundation. “Completion was achieved through the generous contributions of a wide array of donors.”

The Foundation and Foundation board chair Frank Nadolney and his wife Carmen hosted a Veteran Center Reception last year on Veterans Day, where more than $30,000 was raised to aid the centers’ development. Beyond this, generous donations of materials and labor totaled more than $375,000.  In addition, operational funding was provided by a $400,000 grant received in 2010 from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) from the U.S. Department of Education.

“Bay-IBI has welcomed the opportunity to contribute our services to the design and construction of these three Veterans Centers,” said Bob Eudy with Bay Architects. “I have personally enjoyed contributing my efforts for such a good cause for many reasons, but because our efforts were gratis I was totally free to do what was right for the projects rather than being concerned with budget and schedule. It has been a very satisfying experience contributing to these Veterans Centers in our own small way.”

Just last year, San Jacinto College was named a Military Friendly School by G.I. Jobs magazine. In a survey of 8,000 schools, the College ranked among the top 20 percent of all colleges, universities, and trade schools nationwide based upon its ability to issue academic credit for the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), military training, flexible learning programs, and tuition benefits.

For information on how to Honor a Veteran at San Jacinto College’s Center of Excellence for Veteran Student Success, call (281) 998-6104.

About San Jacinto College

Surrounded by monuments of history, industries and maritime enterprises of today, and the space age of tomorrow, San Jacinto College has been serving the citizens of East Harris County, Texas, for more than 50 years. The Achieving the Dream Leader College is committed to the goals and aspirations of a diverse population of 30,000 students in more than 200 degree and certificate options, including university transfer and career preparation. Students also benefit from the College’s job training programs, renowned for meeting the needs of growing industries in the region. San Jacinto College graduates contribute nearly $630 million each year to the Texas workforce. San Jacinto College. Your Goals. Your College.

For more information about San Jacinto College, please call 281-998-6150, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.