Maxwell Student Veteran Center One-Year Anniversary Open House, Thursday, Nov. 14, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Bldg. 19, Room 233B
EUGENE, Ore.—Lane Community College bustles with students going to and from classes, appointments, jobs, family activities, and other responsibilities. From those fresh out of high school to the more senior community members, Lane serves a very diverse student population, with very diverse needs—including veterans.
Lane Vets Club leaders Ricky McNulty and Guy Avenell know this very well. They say veterans may struggle with their life as a student.
McNulty and Avenell, and other members of the Lane Vets Club and Lane staff, work hard to ensure student veterans take advantage of the resources at the Maxwell Student Veteran Center at Lane. The Maxwell Center provides a space for veteran students to study, receive benefit information, discover community resources, learn about job opportunities, decompress, and connect with fellow veterans.
"They're pretty focused and they're here at school to better themselves," said Sharon Hainley, Lane Veterans Services administrative specialist. "This is a space where they can work and where they can have some dedicated quiet."
McNulty said before the Maxwell Center, there was not enough support and available resources to meet veterans' needs. The Maxwell Center has created an important hub for Lane veteran students.
"It gives a lot of the younger vets a place to go where there are other vets who can share experiences with them," said McNulty.
Avenell said much of the club's efforts focuses on making sure student Veterans are aware of opportunities available to them.
"I've met veterans in my classes that weren't aware there was a club," Avenell said. "Or they've been going to school for several years and didn't know there was funding available to help with school."
McNulty and Avenell and other leaders of the Lane Vets Club are trying to increase club membership among veteran students while continuing to promote the benefits of the Maxwell Center. They're even working on creating a virtual forum for the club to make it easier for Veterans to stay connected.
In the meantime, the Maxwell Center has proven invaluable; not only for the resources but also for the personal connections veterans are able to make with other Veterans.
"We have a lot of veterans and they're just not visible," said Hainley. "It's a place where they can connect," he says of the Maxwell Center.
Lane's efforts to support veteran students continue. Lane is creating curriculum for a weekly, student-led veterans and military student welcome. Roughly 1,000 veteran students attend Lane each term.
The Maxwell Center was dedicated November 5, 2012, in recognition of Robert Dale Maxwell, a WWII Medal of Honor recipient and 20-year auto mechanic instructor for Lane.
For more information about the Maxwell Student Veteran Center, go online at: http://www.lanecc.edu/va
Lane is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution. Visit online at www.lanecc.edu or www.twitter.com/lanenews or www.facebook.com/lanecommunitycollege
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