“The California State University – Fullerton PAVE team is demonstrating innovative approaches to supporting their student veterans. They’ve mastered an opt-in model for their PAVE program and emphasize values around supporting their PAVE team and their students. Additionally, their purpose-driven outreach and network of partnerships make it possible for the CSUF team to have an enormous positive impact both on- and off-campus,” says Emma Czajka, PAVE Program Coordinator.

CSUF has 1,150 military-connected students on campus, 513 of whom are student veterans. The PAVE team there includes 5 Peer Advisors, Team Leader Jessica Locke, VSC Raymond Garcia, and Campus Champions Alex Ortega and Cameron Cook. Together they serve around 30 of the student veterans on campus who have opted into the PAVE program.

The CSUF PAVE team’s unique adoption of the opt-in approach to helping student veterans has allowed them to create a close-knit community. Alex Ortega explained the decision to use an opt-in model, saying “it was like really looking at a model where we want to engage people that want to be engaged, and we found that to be the most successful model.” The team described how the smaller number of student veterans allows for greater balance in terms of how the Peer Advisors and Team Leader can take better care of themselves. Additionally, the smaller number of assigned students means that they can build a more close-knit community among the student veterans who opt into PAVE.

Community is incredibly important to the CSUF PAVE team, both on- and off-campus. One aspect of this community-building mindset is evident in their “purpose-driven outreach.” Off-campus partnerships with organizations like the local VFW have allowed them to invite student veterans to participate in events like a beach cleanup. Peer Advisor, Mr. Aaron Clayton summed up his experience saying “When I do purpose-driven outreach, the main word is purpose. I care and if you really care, people know. Student led [outreach] also increases engagement.”

Team Leader, Jessica Locke, also had insight into the value of this approach for groups within the veteran community, saying, “PAVE is a great way for women veterans to enter that space because they can choose when to engage and to go to events that feel appropriate for them. It’s the feeling of closeness.”

Overall, the unique opt-in and purpose-driven approach to serving student veterans that the CSUF PAVE team has adopted has allowed them to have a significant impact on the lives and experiences of the students that they serve. The care that they show in building a vibrant and long-lasting community shines through in all that they do. As Raymond said, “This program is crazy because it starts off as simply “I’m here for you” and then ends with making lifelong friends.”

Keep up the great work, CSUF PAVE team!