Student Veteran Life at DePaul

When I left the Army, all I knew is that I wanted to go to college. The GI Bill is such a unique and useful tool for Veterans; I didn’t want to waste it. At the same time, I wasn’t sure how well I’d do in college. I wasn’t a high achieving student in high school and no one in my family had ever been to college so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I started at Miami University in Ohio but I quickly discovered that my hometown was not a place I saw myself long-term. When looking at other school options, DePaul was the only school with an Office of Veteran Affairs.

It was also the only school with a designated phone number for Veterans to call. I called. I emailed. They got back to me within the week. The Veteran Liaisons and Jim Rhode told me about the office they have there, and the Student Veteran Union. Even from the outside, it is clear that DePaul values Veterans. I knew DePaul was the right choice, and I have not once regretted that decision.The Veteran student experience at DePaul University is not much different from the normal student experience. And that’s a good thing. DePaul has a unique way of making the non-ordinary students feel extraordinary. We fit in here. We may be slightly older, we may have a bit more life experience, some of us work full time, some are first generation college students. All of us are here because we want an education, just the same as any other student. We sit in class, right next to someone who was in high school last year. We learn the same material from the same professors because it is the education that is valuable, regardless of life experience or age, we are all here for the same reason.

DePaul helps with this because they make sure that every student has the ability to build and access to a community of peers. Every student needs a community. Every student needs resources. DePaul allows these things to be built because they know it is imperative to a students success.

~Liam

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