Courtesy of AWC PR & Marketing
As a designated Veteran Supportive Campus, Arizona Western College is committed to providing a convenient one-stop-shop for student Veterans and their family members. In a step toward fulfilling that commitment, AWC held an Open House on March 17 to highlight the newly renovated Veteran Services Office, made possible by the Partners Advancing Completion through Transfer Opportunities (PACTO) grant.
Students can now apply for admissions, register for classes, request transcripts, apply for educational benefits and develop an individualized education plan, all at one location. This new office also shares an advising area with the staff of Northern Arizona University-Yuma.
The PACTO grant is a collaboration between AWC and NAU-Yuma that strives to create a seamless transfer pathway and improve academic success at both institutions. PACTO's three objectives are to close access gaps to underserved populations, optimize program partnerships leading to college readiness and increase student success by implementing instructional support.
Across the hall, the Military and Veteran Student Center continues to be a safe and comfortable place for students and their families to be in the company of other students with shared experiences. The center has computers, printers, flat-screen TVs, a refrigerator and a nicely furnished patio area with a beautiful view.
In addition, the Student Veterans Club meets and plans their events in the center, which creates a genuine environment of support and peer mentorship. In June of 2015, AWC was awarded $8,244 in the form of Home Depot gift cards from Student Veterans of America in accordance to their VetCenter Initiative, and the cards were used to purchase furnishings for the center. As a result, the Military and Veteran Student Center has become an area where students and their family members feel truly appreciated for their service to our country.
Student centers like the one at AWC greatly contribute to the successful transition of military veterans into higher education and the civilian community. For more information about the center or its services, contact Gabriela Siqueiros-Herwig, Coordinator of Veteran Services, at Gabriela.Herwig@azwestern.edu or (928) 344-7683.
