VRC Warmly Welcomes Matador Veterans to Campus
By Teagan Davidge
The University Student Union (USU) Veterans Resource Center (VRC) held its annual Veterans Welcome last month, an event for veterans and military-connected students to build community and learn about a variety of resources that support educational goals.
“Some of the student veterans that are returning to campus have been prior students, they might be transfer students, they might be people that have never stepped foot onto a college campus before. We wanted to make sure that this event covered all of our bases in terms of helping student veterans transition into civilian society, and especially into their academic careers,” said Rubina Mashadyan, VRC student event assistant.
The VRC event highlighted guest speakers from the Klotz Student Health Center and University Counseling Services. The event also showcased the other USU resource centers, the Pride Center and the DREAM Center, to support intersectionality between identities.
“The experience itself was nice. All the speakers were knowledgeable and professional, and I was surprised how many resources we had available to us,” said D’erick Singleton, student veteran guest. “I felt camaraderie and sense of community which means a lot to veterans especially when they’re out of the military.”
Attendees were served refreshments while mingling with new and familiar faces, bridging the gap between veterans from all military branches and other military-connected individuals, including active-duty service members and military family members.
“Even though everyone has their individual story, it’s like a brotherhood and a sisterhood for all veterans. It’s comforting knowing that someone struggled with you and they’re also here for the first time, figuring it out,” said Mashadyan. “Someone from the Marines might meet someone from the Navy, and they might have similar stories. They may have never met if it wasn’t for the VRC.”
Guests also participated in several rounds of ice breakers, including an activity called “Common Ground” in which participants were encouraged to step forward when they heard a phrase they could identify with. The exercise was designed to help students feel more comfortable in the VRC space while getting to know other participants through shared experiences.
“My favorite part about the Veteran Welcome was knowing that there are veterans that are faculty members here at CSUN that can relate to us veterans going through this new chapter in our life,” Singleton said.
Additionally, participants made thank-you cards for their future selves, sealing them to open later as a reminder of how far they will have come since the card was originally written.
“We wanted to create a community for veterans to let them know that we are here for them throughout their journey,” said Mashadyan. “We’re not just people to come to in an emergency, but we’re here for you as a community as well.”