By Vanessa Chalmers

Honoring our Veterans is an annual tradition come November 11. For those of us who may not be directly linked to veteran, the perception of one may often be misconceived as an older, pony-tailed grandpa, eager to reminisce about the old days. However, while many of our grandparents, indeed, are veterans and worthy of that stereotype, the image is not all-encompassing. At CSUSM, veterans walk our halls, are in our classes, and share the same burdens of student life as us. However, their academic lives are tinged with the experiences that only a life in the armed forces can bring.

When asked what one of the most challenging parts about returning to civilian life as a student has been, vet Elijah Artiaga confesses: “Making friends.” Having come out of an intense camaraderie formed with the people he served 4 years in the Marines with, finding people with common life experiences has been a difficult feat. But Elijah is not alone. The Veteran’s Center at CSUSM, located in Cougar Central, offers a common ground for veterans to hang out and network. Fellow vet Nighat Beg explains that after having served in the Navy for 10 years, the Veteran’s Center has allowed her to meet people and make lasting friendships outside of service. For Nighat, her challenge came in the form of fashion. “I had to buy more civilian clothes!” she said.

Approaching college with years of military experience in tow has definitely instilled some beneficial learning tools in many student vets. Responsibility and punctuality are two things veteran Aaron Green has been glad to apply to his academic career. “I come to class and hear students make weak excuses about being late because their alarm clocks were broken, and I think, ‘Really? Your alarm clock was broken?’” Aaron also believes that being older plays a role in being a responsible student. Many veterans, like Elijah, join the armed forces to fund their college education, either attending school while in service, or resuming their education after their service is complete. As a result, student vets come to college with more life experiences than the incoming first years who transition to college straight from high school. Often times, their experience in service influences their career path, like Nighat, who explained that having worked with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder patients in the Navy has inspired her to pursue a graduate degree in Social Work, specializing in PTSD.

For incoming student veterans, Nighat encourages newbies to be open-minded. Moving from a highly organized environment to one that is more lax in time, duties, and even fashion it is important to “think outside the box” and be open to new situations. As for the upcoming holiday, our vets have veterans of their own they would like to honor, such as Aaron’s friend Erik Wegmann in the Navy fighting piracy off the coast of Africa, and Chad Geddes’ family member Carlos Ashlock, who went MIA during Vietnam.

As November 11 draws near, the Pride encourages you to remember to honor the Veterans past and present who have dedicated their lives to make ours what it is in this country: free, strong, and resilient. Thank you to Nighat Beg, Aaron Green, Elijah Artiaga, Chad Geddes, and Travis Riley for their contributions to this piece and for their service to our country.