Peer Advisors for Veteran Education (PAVE) https://m-span.org/pave Outreach, peer support, and linkage to resources for student veterans returning to college on the Post 9-11 GI Bill Tue, 05 Mar 2024 15:27:55 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.2 https://m-span.org/pave/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2016/12/cropped-logo-1-32x32.png Peer Advisors for Veteran Education (PAVE) https://m-span.org/pave 32 32 February 2024 Featured Campus: Central Oregon Community College https://m-span.org/pave/2024/02/26/february-2024-featured-campus-central-oregon-community-college/ Mon, 26 Feb 2024 15:24:09 +0000 https://m-span.org/pave/?p=2258 ... Learn More]]>
Three people in PAVE shirts. The two on  either side are standing while the one in the center is seated in a chair with legs crossed

Central Oregon Community College is our Featured Campus for February! 

“The Central Oregon Community College PAVE Team has shown a great deal of momentum and consistency in supporting their student veterans through the start of the term. They have maintained quality relationships with both student and community resources for the benefit of their student veterans. Additionally, despite the challenges of navigating split locations for veterans services, they have continued to provide regular and impactful outreach and resources for the population they serve,” says Emma Czajka, PAVE Program Coordinator.

The Central Oregon PAVE team is currently made up of three Peer Advisors, Kelly Williams, Ashley Helmer, and Jensen-Bremer Mapa, as well as two Veterans Services Coordinators, Bonnie Jordan and Levon Alldredge. Together they serve nearly 300 student veterans on their campus.

According to Bonnie, one area of pride for the PAVE team is “really helping their students understand and access benefits.” Many of the student veterans served by the PAVE team are studying aviation, a field that adds additional layers of difficulty to using VA benefits; however, the Peer Advisors are able to help students navigate those challenges much more easily.

In addition to helping access VA benefits, the PAVE team also assists with connection to other resources and benefits both on campus and in the community. Levon remembered one such instance while he was a Peer Advisor at COCC where he helped a student veteran figure out all of the benefits he was qualified to access, including how to use the food bank and housing resources.

The COCC PAVE team understands the importance of building community and a place where student veterans can connect and be themselves on campus. Kelly finds it rewarding to “help people make connections and friendships among each other,” since, “most students aren’t local and don’t really know anybody.” This connection is also useful for the PAVE team. Ashley finds that her role as a Peer Advisor has pushed her to engage with student veterans and “build connections outside of the military,” as well as allowing her to provide help for her assigned student veterans, even those reluctant to engage. The passion and care the team shows for providing student veterans a safe place to find support and community is commendable.

Keep up the fantastic work supporting your student veterans, Central Oregon Community College! 

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February 2024 Team Leader of the Month: Tasha Martin, University of Washington – Tacoma https://m-span.org/pave/2024/02/26/february-2024-team-leader-of-the-month-tasha-martin-university-of-washington-tacoma/ Mon, 26 Feb 2024 15:13:54 +0000 https://m-span.org/pave/?p=2254 ... Learn More]]>
Woman taking a selfie

From Kaily White, Team Leader, University of Washington – Tacoma: “Tasha Martin has dedicated her already busy schedule as a student, mother, and employee to growing the PAVE program here at the University of Washington – Tacoma campus. She is constantly reaching out to the off-campus community to bring in resources and support to our military-connected students. This includes setting up workshops and donations with our local credit unions and VFW offices. She is just as supportive of the Peer Advisors who seek her guidance on how to help their students. She sets up routine meetings to check in and see how we are doing, as well as providing us resources we can pass on through our check in with advisees. Every time I see her on campus she is doing something for PAVE. Whether that’s going to or from a meeting, taking notes, or talking with her advisees. I know this means she’s doing long hours of studying for her degree at home, all while being a mother of three. She is an essential asset to our team here at the University of Washington – Tacoma campus.”

From Tasha Martin: “My favorite part about being a PAVE Team Leader is how I am able to work with and build connections with military-connected students and give them the support they need in order to be successful during their time in school. It is important that students feel like they have a support system in place they can count on. It’s rewarding knowing there are students that I can relate to and I am able to offer them positive support to meet their needs. One of my proudest accomplishments for the quarter is how we were able to network and connect with more resources both on and off campus to make the program more exciting to join and have more student involvement. Also, building a reliable and energetic team of Peer Advisors who are willing to go above and beyond for our students is one of my proudest accomplishments for our team.”

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February 2024 Peer Advisor of the Month: Adrian McNally, Johnson County Community College https://m-span.org/pave/2024/02/26/february-2024-peer-advisor-of-the-month-adrian-mcnally-johnson-county-community-college/ Mon, 26 Feb 2024 15:10:17 +0000 https://m-span.org/pave/?p=2250 ... Learn More]]>
MAn in a hat, uniform, and sunglasses standing in fron of a U.S. Air Force Plane

From Yassin Ali, Team Leader, Johnson County Community College: “Adrian goes above and beyond in his efforts to provide assistance to and make contact with his PAVE Peers. This is evidenced by his consistent outreach numbers, as well as his interactions. Adrian is the type of person who goes the extra mile to make people feel included and has had great success getting his peers to show up to SVA and other school events. Adrian has worked hard to learn the resources here at JCCC and is a subject matter expert for his peers. I have also witnessed Adrian patiently and diligently helping students in the lounge with accounting homework, as his emphasis of study is business. He is a natural connector and makes everyone feel welcome.”

From Adrian McNally: “As a Peer Advisor, enhancing the college experience for student veterans is vital for their future success. Guiding their transition, connecting them with a supportive student veteran community, and providing benefits they may have not known about helps veterans feel more empowered and supported in their academic journey, contributing to a more fulfilling college experience. My favorite parts about being a Peer Advisor are hearing the stories my peers share about their experiences and seeing where their future takes them! One of my peers ended up being selected for Army Warrant Officer School. He will end up being a part of something that less than 3% of the entire army gets to do!”

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January 2024 Peer Advisor of the Month: Ray Sullivan, Oregon State University https://m-span.org/pave/2024/01/24/january-2024-peer-advisor-of-the-month-ray-sullivan-oregon-state-university/ Wed, 24 Jan 2024 17:30:00 +0000 https://m-span.org/pave/?p=2247 ... Learn More]]>
Man standing in front of an SVA background

From Daniel Cox, Team Leader, Oregon State University: “Ray’s exceptional grasp of the numerous resources available to our student body has positioned him as the go-to expert among our PAVE team. His peers consistently seek his knowledge and advice and he continues to make his time available to any who needs it. His devoted efforts in constructing a responsive and successful veteran student body directly align with our PAVE long-term strategy. By volunteering his own time Ray has created a welcoming atmosphere for our monthly game nights during which time he successfully interweaves pragmatic information, such as successfully navigating our scholarship portal. Ray’s investment in Oregon State’s veteran student body cannot be understated and he would be a worthy recipient of this award.”

From Ray Sullivan: “I think PAVE helps veteran students because it’s often hard for us to relate to the typical student experience. By bringing us together and remaining a team, we are fighting for our growth together. My favorite part of being a Peer Advisor is the ability to meet and help new veterans. I love education, and bringing more individuals into the fold is something I appreciate deeply.”

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January 2024 Team Leader of the Month: Kelly Williams, Central Oregon Community College https://m-span.org/pave/2024/01/24/january-2024-team-leader-of-the-month-kelly-williams-central-oregon-community-college/ Wed, 24 Jan 2024 17:00:00 +0000 https://m-span.org/pave/?p=2244 ... Learn More]]>
Man standing in front of an American Flag

From Levon Alldredge, Veterans Outreach Coordinator, Central Oregon Community College: “Kelly is an amazing support for both students and staff! He is very deserving of recognition for his contributions to our program.”

From Kelly Williams: “[My favorite part of being a Team Leader is] the day to day interactions with my fellow student veterans regardless of age, branch of service, or creed and promoting a safe environment that they may be missing since their departure from service. Our team restarted our Student Veterans of America Chapter after years of it being inactive. We also were able to attend the National Conference at the beginning of the year which has allowed us to network and gain a larger repertoire of information that we can pass on to our fellow student veterans that lets us better engage and advise them to make the transition to student life much easier.

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January 2024 Featured Campus: Wayne State University https://m-span.org/pave/2024/01/24/january-2024-featured-campus-wayne-state-university/ Wed, 24 Jan 2024 16:16:20 +0000 https://m-span.org/pave/?p=2241 ... Learn More]]>
Group of people sitting on the floor, each making a "W" with their hands

Wayne State University is our Featured Campus for January! “The Wayne State University PAVE Team shows dedication to connecting with and helping foster success for their student veterans. They continue to engage in a tremendous amount of activity, including a bi-weekly newsletter, workshops, PAVE parties, and extensive outreach. Their impressive levels of energy and creativity, combined with their work with TRIO and Student Support Services, showcase their commitment to student veteran support,” says Emma Czajka, PAVE Program Coordinator.

Wayne State’s PAVE Team is made up of four Peer Advisors, led by Academic Success Coach Dante Strother and Director of Veteran Student Support Services William Keilman. Together, and through grant funding, the team works to serve 120 military-affiliated students on campus out of a population of over 500 military-affiliated students.

Getting PAVE started initially at Wayne State was a challenge due to staff turnover and a lack of engagement from student veterans like may schools face. However, according to Peer Advisor Carissa Bennett, PAVE has shown a lot of growth with the onboarding of Dante Strother as the Veteran Services Coordinator.

Despite initial struggles this PAVE team has found renewed vigor and, according to Dante, has been “trying to find ways to stay engaged with it in terms of innovating and making sure they provide the best program they can and reach more student veterans.” This is evident in their PAVE activities, like holding a graduation information workshop and providing graduation materials for student veterans after one PAVE student veteran raised concerns in an interaction with their advisor. 

The Wayne State PAVE Team is also dedicated to providing a sense of community for military-affiliated students on campus. “Knowing that you won’t be left behind is a big part of what we do here. Letting them know that as long as you are here, you will be supported,” says Dante Strother. The sentiment is echoed by Carissa, who says that “Overall the sense of community that this program allows us to build is really rare, especially in a campus with over 20,000 students,” and “the VRC provides that space and that community.” The Wayne State PAVE Team also values community outside of campus, holding community service events like cold weather drives and volunteering with a homeless veterans shelter to stay engaged and give back to the greater veteran community.

Keep up the incredible work supporting your military-affiliated students, Wayne State University!

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November + December 2023 Peer Advisor of the Month: Isabella Olivares, University of the Incarnate Word https://m-span.org/pave/2023/11/28/november-december-2023-peer-advisor-of-the-month-isabella-olivares-university-of-the-incarnate-word/ Tue, 28 Nov 2023 13:40:00 +0000 https://m-span.org/pave/?p=2231 ... Learn More]]>
Female figure

From Phillip Rangel, Team Leader, University of the Incarnate Word: “Isabella, a student at the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) is the inaugural military-child-focused Peer Advisor for this pioneering program. She excels in the PAVE’s mission is to provide guidance and support to the family members of veterans who are receiving VA Education benefits, despite not being in the military themselves. Isabella herself is the daughter of a U.S. Marine Corps Veteran and has embraced the opportunity to lead and assist fellow students at UIW.

In her role as Peer Advisor, Isabella serves as a valuable resource for 68 sons and daughters of military veterans. Simultaneously, she manages a demanding academic load, is currently enrolled in 18 credit hours, and maintains an exceptional academic record. Isabella’s dedication extends beyond traditional student support, as she has effectively reached out to a previously overlooked demographic. These students, although not veterans themselves, played an essential role in supporting their parents throughout their military service. Isabella’s connection with her peers can forge a bond that will undoubtedly foster goodwill and support within the university. Her selfless commitment to assisting fellow college students, even those she hasn’t met personally, is a rare and remarkable character trait that sets her apart from her peers. Her dedication is truly deserving of this recognition.”

From Isabella Olivares: “My favorite part of being a Peer Advisor is I get to be myself and be silly sometimes in my outreach emails and see responses from advisees being silly as well. This lets me know that even if they aren’t always asking for help, we have a solid connection, and they feel safe reaching out. My work as a Peer Advisor has improved the college experience of student veterans and fellow family members of veterans by giving them a safety net and a friend. They can live their student life freely but know that they can reach out without shame or guilt.”

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November + December 2023 Team Leader of the Month: Mark Saxiones, University of Texas at Dallas https://m-span.org/pave/2023/11/28/november-december-2023-team-leader-of-the-month-mark-saxiones-university-of-texas-at-dallas/ Tue, 28 Nov 2023 12:35:00 +0000 https://m-span.org/pave/?p=2227 ... Learn More]]>

From Richard Simon, Assistant Director of the Military and Veteran Center, University of Texas at Dallas: “Mr. Saxiones has exemplified what a team leader is. His devotion to being a Peer Advisor has reached the eyes and ears of all active military, veterans, and dependents here at the University of Texas at Dallas. His selfless acts of encouragement towards incoming freshmen and his genuine character to help new veterans students assimilate to their environment goes above and beyond what a Team Leader for PAVE is called to do. Mr. Saxiones is more than deserving of this award.”

From Marijke Gray, Director of the Military and Veteran Center, University of Texas at Dallas: “Mark Saxiones is an outstanding Team Leader who excels in various aspects of his role. Firstly, he stands out for his creative ideas, consistently bringing fresh and innovative concepts to the team. Whether brainstorming new projects or finding unique solutions to challenges, Mark’s creativity helps his team stay ahead of the curve. Furthermore, Mark is highly skilled in team initiatives and organizational skills. He effectively delegates tasks, sets clear goals, and ensures everyone on his team has a sense of ownership and responsibility. This approach fosters a collaborative and productive environment. 

Mark’s ability to keep his Peer Advisors engaged is another testament to his exceptional leadership. His interpersonal skills enable him to build strong relationships with his team members and the students they serve. Through open dialogue and genuine empathy, he fosters a sense of trust and collaboration. Mark’s commitment to maintaining academic excellence is evident in his approach. Mark consistently finds ways to engage students and make the program more significant and accessible. He actively seeks student feedback and adapts the program to meet their evolving needs.

Mark is an outstanding Team Leader who excels in creative ideas, team initiatives, organizational skills, keeping his Peer Advisors engaged, recruitment efforts, connecting with others, maintaining academic excellence, maintaining an open dialogue with his Peer Advisors, finding ways to engage students, and expanding the program’s accessibility. His exceptional leadership qualities make him an invaluable asset to the team.”

From Mark Saxiones: “Here at UTD, the academics are quite rigorous, and I love making the PAVE experience smooth and natural for both Peer Advisors and our peers. They have a lot of studying demands, and anything I can do to make their life easier constitutes a success in my book.

I am proudest of my team’s commitment to making new student veterans feel welcome here. Specifically, they have sent resource lists, come up with social events, and we have even created a Discord chat for people in the PAVE program: peers and Peer Advisors!”

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November+December 2023 Featured Campus: Santa Ana College https://m-span.org/pave/2023/11/28/novemberdecember-2023-featured-campus-santa-ana-college/ Tue, 28 Nov 2023 10:30:00 +0000 https://m-span.org/pave/?p=2224 ... Learn More]]>
Three people standing in front of two upright American Flags

Santa Ana College is our Featured Campus for November/December! “The Santa Ana PAVE team has shown a great deal of growth over the last year and is incredibly involved both on and off campus. They have provided extensive programming, offering support to both their student veterans and the wider community. Additionally, they have built relationships with 4-year schools and continue demonstrating dedication to providing creative and comprehensive support for their veteran and military-connected students,” says Emma Czajka, PAVE Program Coordinator.

Santa Ana College’s PAVE team, led by Team Leader Joseph Jimenez and Student Services Coordinator Mark Canett, has four Peer Advisors. Together, they serve a population of almost 500 military-affiliated and veteran students, with outreach expanding to include dependents. “We take it student by student, and as long as we’re impacting one student, we’re doing a great job,” says Dr. Brenda Estrada, the Director of Special Programs and the Veterans Resource Center.

The Santa Ana College PAVE team excels in the strength and number of their connections, both with their students and with other programs and institutions. According to Mark, their team has connections with several 4-year universities both in the local area and across the country and has trips every semester to take their military-affiliated students on tours of these campuses. These campus trips are just one of many ways that the Santa Ana PAVE team connects with their surrounding community and works to provide the best resources and outcomes for their student veterans. “We can really have an impact on students and see within 2 years where they go, so that’s very rewarding,” says Mark.

According to Mark, the PAVE skills imparted to student veterans at Santa Ana College translate well to 4-year schools, and many PAVE students transfer to them to pursue additional education. These skills include learning to find and to utilize resources both from the VRC and within the community, “and through PAVE and other school programs, you can gradually see that students go from being receptive to being proactive about them,” says Joseph. 

Keep up the great work supporting your student veterans and military-connected students, Santa Ana College!

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“There Are Always People Who Are Trying To Help You”: How Olubukola Akinbami (LSA) Found Community and Support at U-M https://m-span.org/pave/2023/11/08/there-are-always-people-who-are-trying-to-help-you-how-olubukola-akinbami-lsa-found-community-and-support-at-u-m/ Wed, 08 Nov 2023 18:04:25 +0000 https://m-span.org/pave/?p=2219
Image of Olubukola Akinbami standing in front of a railing

Check out this fantastic news story about how PAVE at the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor made a huge difference for one student veteran and PAVE Peer Advisor.

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