FSU hosts annual conference to help veterans get a degree after service
Fayetteville State University hosted Wednesday the 2022 annual North Carolina Strive Program conference, that aims to help veterans go to college. WRAL Fayetteville reporter Gilbert Baez attended the conference as a moderator.
Posted — Updated"Because of my military background, I was asked to moderate a panel discussion with five outstanding veterans and a soon-to-be commissioned Army officer," he said. "We talked about their military experience and how it's impacted their decision to seek college degrees."
About 200 people packed the main ballroom inside the FSU Student Center to hear personal stories from veterans who are looking to exchange their military uniforms for caps and gowns.
Tanisha Blue was in the U.S. Navy, and now she's a student at Methodist University.
"The day that I got out, I started using my G.I Bill," she said. "The college that I went to, the advisors were so informative because they were veterans also. The transition was very easy for me."
The point of this annual conference is to bring educators, employers and veterans together to talk about the challenges U.S. service members face when they look for jobs and educational opportunities after serving.
"After their service, they're awarded this great benefit of the G.I. Bill as a thank you and recognition of their service," said Christine Schwartz, CEO of the counseling business Service to School. "We want to make sure they're using that G.I. Bill in the best ways to help them earn a great degree."
Jarrett Zeigler spent six years in a Marine Corps sniper platoon. He was wounded during combat in Afghanistan and medically retired in 2016. He was left with the question — how do you turn all that into a college degree?
"The biggest thing is networking, knowing people," he said. "It's just a massive transition. It was very difficult."
Now, Zeigler is headed to medical school to become a psychiatrist to help other veterans.
"The hardest part of the transition, honestly, was just having faith in myself," Zeigler said. "Realistically, I had a great support network. I had family, I had friends."
Zeigler wants to encourage other veterans coming home to consider pursuing their educational dreams.
"Absolutely do it. You got to have the courage to do it. If you can sign on the dotted line, you can take time to get an education for yourself," he said.
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