Howard Community College Renovates Veterans Lounge

Howard Community College has a spiffed-up lounge especially for students who are veterans, thanks to a grant funded in part by Home Depot.

The Student Veterans Organization at Howard Community College (HCC) applied for and received an $8,777 grant to fund the renovation of the Military and Veteran Student Lounge in Duncan Hall.

At the lounge in Columbia, vets study, eat, talk and relax outside of class, according to a statement from the college.

Having a space where veterans can gather on campus correlates with better academic outcomes, according to the Student Veterans of America, which partnered with the Home Depot Foundation to award $400,000 in grants so that student-led groups at 50 colleges could improve or build veterans lounges.

“The Student Veterans Organization is honored to have been selected as a grant award winner,” President of the HCC Student Veterans Organization Harley Gomez said.

Now the lounge at HCC has leather seating, a television, hardwood desks and a coffee machine, with materials provided by Home Depot for a renovation that took place over the summer, according to the college.

“We wanted the renovation to create unity and synergy among the veterans, who served in various branches of the military,” Gomez said, “and I am proud that we successfully achieved our goal.”

Pictured, HCC is among more than 1,400 schools designated as Military Friendly by Victory Media, which looks at how colleges support veterans. Photo Credit: Howard Community College.