Veterans use newest GI Bill in pursuit of dreams

Maggie Beckerman enlisted in the Army after high school.

She met her husband, Michael Joe, at Fort Stewart in Georgia, and served with him in Afghanistan. And in 2010, when he was killed by an explosive device stashed in a house in the Kandahar province there, she escorted his body home.

For Beckerman, sitting regularly now in a classroom on a quiet campus in suburban Blue Bell has not been an easy adjustment.

"I still have anxiety, difficulty sleeping. Sometimes it's just hard to be in class," she said.

But the 25-year-old wants to start a therapy dog program for veterans and special needs children. She's getting support from an expanded veterans service program at Montgomery County Community College.

There's new staff, a new Veterans Resource Center - all in an effort to assist the wave of veterans leaving the military as the U.S. scales back its troops overseas.

Nearly one million veterans and their family members have enrolled in colleges since 2009, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The government has paid out more than $25 billion for their education benefits since the 2008 passage of the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

It is a surge that has infused college campuses where veteran enrollments had plummeted after Vietnam-era soldiers completed their studies and military activity decreased, said Ann Marie Donohue, an associate professor of psychology and adviser to the student veteran club at Montgomery County Community College.

"With the new GI Bill, soldiers can pass their benefit on to their children and spouses," said Laura Reddick, Temple University's associate director for adult and veteran student recruitment. "So we are seeing an increase in the veterans as well as the veteran families."

Temple's veteran enrollment has increased from 200 to nearly 700 over the last several years. At Rutgers-Camden, veteran enrollment increased from 149 to 378 between the fall of 2009 and fall 2013.

Penn State Abington's veteran enrollment has more than doubled to about 100 since 2008. Delaware County Community College's veteran population has increased by about 50 students, from about 240 to nearly 300 since last year.

The schools have responded to the flush of new collegians by adding programs, beefing-up existing initiatives and hiring staff.

Several campuses have added Student Veterans of America (SVA) chapters. The organization, a coalition of groups that help veterans adjust to campus life and succeed in school, has grown from 20 to more than 900 chapters since it started in 2008.

"When you are in the military, you are taught to make due with what you have - you generally don't ask for help," said U.S. Army veteran D. Wayne Robinson, SVA executive director. "We want veterans to be able to connect and open up about the experiences they are dealing with. We want them to reach out."

Temple is adding a veterans affairs office to its main campus. Bucks County Community College is planning to open its third veterans lounge, this one at its Lower Bucks campus. MCCC renovated an old farmhouse last year to serve as its new Veterans Resource Center.

Inside these campus refuges, veterans navigate the transition from military service to civilian life.

They may have physical disabilities, or emotional and psychological disorders that are related to their military service. Some have varying degrees of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Others retain habits that come from their intense immersion in the military way of life.

Veterans are accustomed to regimentation and being told what to do, said Marlene Barlow, director of Admissions at BCC. When they are discharged, they must feel empowered to make decisions on their own.

For Benjamin McIntyre, 40, finding common ground with younger students who do not share his experience is a challenge.

McIntyre, of Schwenksville, Montgomery County, is a single father of two teenagers and president of Penn State Abington's SVA chapter. He served in the U.S. Air Force for 21 years until July of 2012. He sustained nerve damage and has recurring respiratory problems as a result of his military service.

"I came here focused on what I want to do," said McIntyre, who wants a career in veterans services. "Most college students are trying to find their direction."

McIntyre's chapter will be hosting a panel discussion on Veterans Day as a way to help increase understanding between veteran and nonveteran students.

At MCCC, the veterans group partners with other student organizations to host activities and forge a bond.

"We don't want people to be scared of us or think of us as 'those people,' " said Chris Crouthamel, 33, president of the MCCC veterans group who left the Army in 2012 after a dozen years of active service. "Yes, we're veterans, and we may have some issues, but we're human."

Beckerman isn't from the area. She grew up in Fort Lauderdale and weighed 365 pounds as a teen, she said.

Beckerman said she lost the weight by exercising and eating wisely. Still, she joined the Army because she felt she needed direction.

She ended up as a supply specialist. Though she and her husband were both in Afghanistan, they did not serve in the same unit or area, she said.

After his death, Beckerman decided to relocate to Montgomery County. Her mother had grown up in the area and moved back. Beckerman settled in Plymouth Meeting and her mother, a graduate of MCCC, urged Beckerman to attend the school.

Beckerman has had her struggles as a civilian that she traces back to her time in the service. She said just the idea of filling out a form with questions that she might not be able to answer has scared her.

When she starts the therapy dog endeavor, Beckerman will name it "Michael's Way," after her husband.

She says she'll have many at the school to thank, including professors who remain supportive even when her anxiety gets in the way.

"There will always be a reason to stop [her studies]," Beckerman said. "But when I come here, I realize the reasons aren't good enough."

73

percentage of student veterans who are male

47

percentage who are married

47

percentage who have children

85

percentage age 24 or older

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Veterans AffairsEndText

Nearly one million veterans and their family members have enrolled in colleges across the United States since 2009. Here is a look at how some local colleges have fared:

Temple University: 700 vets this year, up from 200 a few years ago.

Rutgers-Camden: 378 vets this year, up from 149 since 2009.

Bucks County Community College: 322 vets, up 21 percent since 2012.

Delaware County Community College: 300 vets, up from about 240 last year.

Penn State Abington: 100 vets, more than doubled since 2008.

- Kristin E. Holmes

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