MCC Sets Up Veteran and Military-Connected Students for Success

Although the majority of courses and student services are online for the Fall 2020 semester due to the pandemic, Middlesex Community College has continued to connect with students. As Middlesex supports all students, the Veterans Resource Center (VRC) strives to ensure MCC veteran and military-connected students remain on their paths to academic, professional and personal success.

The VRC is providing virtual support for military service members who are beginning a college career or returning to complete an academic program. Veterans and military-connected students can receive information about educational programs, assistance with accessing college resources, and answers regarding eligibility for government-, state- and community-sponsored services.

Jessica Frost, Director of the VRC, believes in taking a holistic approach to supporting veteran and military-connected students. According to her, many of these students are older and often try to handle situations on their own. Frost and the VRC want to make sure the students know that at Middlesex there is a built-in system of support to directly help their needs.

“There are so many different complexities that our students are facing in this particular population that we want to make sure they’re supported in every way that we can,” she said. “It’s also about self-advocacy. I try to let them know that I’m here to support them and to not only provide academic advising, but career development – to look at how their wellness is going, to make sure they are getting any mental and physical support.”

As a veteran and MCC alumna herself, Frost understands that returning to school can be overwhelming. Many students have to manage academic responsibilities on top of family and other personal needs. There is also a culture change for veteran students – going from a stricter schedule in the military to following a more flexible schedule at school. Having a dedicated place with resources that help students adjust is valuable to their retention and persistence to graduation.

“Every time a student crosses the stage and graduates, that’s a win-win for us all,” Frost said. “When I see our students with their cord – they have a special red, white and blue cord – that’s always a special time for me and it makes me so proud when I see how hard our students work.”

In Green Zone Trainings run by the VRC, MCC faculty and staff learn how to better support veteran and military-connected students. The training helps participants better understand the experience these students bring with them. To Frost, it is important to build a foundation in a positive way to set students up for life-long success. The combination of work the VRC does with student services across the college – including tutoring and advising – helps MCC veteran and military-connected students look forward to their futures with excitement and potential.

“That’s one of the reasons I do what I do,” Frost said. “I love the idea of giving back to our veteran and military-connected students because they need the support – it’s important so that they don’t ever feel that they have to figure it out on their own.”

Frost will also often encourage veteran students to take on a mentoring role with younger students in their classes. She suggests they share their lived experiences and help classmates understand the importance and value of going to school.

In the Fall semester, the VRC has hosted online events and meetings for veteran and military-connected students to connect with each other as they become members of the college community. Based on a survey Frost sent out in the spring, students expressed interest in a Veterans Day event, as well as workshops on wellness, executive functioning skills and career development. Frost set up a two-part Veterans Day Series called Unsung Heroes in History and the Unseen Foe of World War I that takes place the week of Veterans Day.

In collaboration with MCC’s Multicultural Center, the first session of the series will be a presentation called The Harlem Hell Fighters: Black Soldiers from World War I Onward by Ron Jones, Director of Dialogues and Diversity, a theatre company. The lecture discusses the struggle African Americans suffered to move into the middle class of America and how they were not recognized as soldiers and sailors in World War I and World War II.

The second session will be a presentation called The Unseen Foe: Camp Devens in the 1918 Influenza Epidemic. This timely workshop run by Cara Fosse, Fort Devens Museum Executive Director, will talk about how military members were affected by the influenza pandemic.

Visit www.middlesex.mass.edu/veteransresources/ for more information on how MCC supports veteran and military-connected students.

Registration is open for both MCC’s WinterSession and Spring Semester. WinterSession runs January 4-22. The Spring semester starts January 26. Visit www.middlesex.mass.edu/registration/ or call 1-800-818-3434 to register for classes.

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