“The University of Nevada – Las Vegas PAVE team has been incredibly active and dedicated in their efforts supporting student veterans on campus. They excel at connecting students to resources and offering thorough assistance to a large population of first semester students while balancing the needs of their team. The quality and breadth of work that the UNLV team provides demonstrates their care and dedication both to each other, and to the students they serve,” says Emma Czajka, PAVE Program Coordinator.

UNLV currently has 567 first semester military-affiliated students enrolled in PAVE and assigned to a Peer Advisor. Their team includes 17 Peer Advisors, three Team Leaders: Jace Achiu, William Gardner, and Ariana Acosta, Veterans Services Coordinator Dwayne Gordon, and Campus Champion Ross Bryant. The PAVE team also partners with the social work students to offer PAVE as a practicum site for students looking to work with veterans.

The UNLV PAVE team provides exceptional care for both each other and the students they serve, creating a lasting positive impact on campus. The positive effects of PAVE have been evident on both an individual and larger scale. Jace described one student veteran who was in a dangerous living situation: “They responded to their PA to get the resources that changed their life and to get out of their situation.” William similarly described his own experience joining PAVE, saying, “finding the community and vulnerability in the office opened my eyes and moved me to be interactive with PAVE.” On a larger scale, the impact of PAVE can also be felt at the highest levels, “the PAVE team at UNLV is helping with the retention of students,” according to Dwayne.

Part of the reason the UNLV PAVE team works so well is that “every single person on the team wants to collaborate with each other and work together to give support,” says Jace. In addition to the collaborative enthusiasm, there is a great deal of recognition and support from leadership. Dwayne describes how they provide “a little cash incentive for the top interactor of the month and they select their own PA of the month.” The work that the PAVE team does has shown Ariana “the impact and value that PAVE has.”

Keep up the fantastic work, UNLV!