Richard Gilbert was a Marine Corps scout sniper who served in Iraq. Now he’s a veteran, and a student at the University of California-San Diego, where he fights an uphill battle to work through the symptoms of his traumatic brain injury just to get through the school day. (Photo by Sam Hodgson for the Public Insight Network)
As the service members who fought in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars return home and become veterans, many are choosing higher education as a next step in life after war.
The Post-9/11 GI Bill — the most comprehensive of its kind in history — has made that option more accessible than ever.
But for veterans who head to school after their service, the signature injuries of the conflicts they served in — PTSD and TBI — paired with the singular life experiences they bring along with them, can pose significant hurdles in adapting to student life.
In a collaboration with Southern California Public Radio, we explore the challenges, services and connections student veterans are finding on Southern California’s campuses as they make the transition from combat to classroom.
PART 1 [broadcast April 1, 2013]
Some veterans leaving military struggle to succeed in college
Twenty-three-year-old Desiree Escarcida enrolled in college one week after leaving the Marines. She struggled mightily at first, dropping out of one school before finding a more welcoming environment at Fullerton College.
PART 2 [broadcast April 2, 2013]
Taking brain injuries from the battlefield to the classroom
TBI symptoms read like a list of all the things that can keep you from succeeding in school: It causes trouble with concentration, cognitive processing, reading comprehension, and memory. In the classroom, they can spell disaster.
PART 3 [broadcast April 3, 2013]
Student veterans and a space of their own: A tale of two schools
When Saddleback College’s veterans center opened in 2009, it was one of only three in California. Today, there are 14 in Orange County alone. In the meantime, the University of Southern California’s veterans still have their meetings in vacant classrooms twice a month, as they work toward establishing a space of their own on campus.
4 weeks agoMeg Mitcham helps colleges and universities learn how to best serve the new generation of veterans in their classrooms. In this interview, she recalls her own rocky trip through college that began just days after she returned from Iraq.
Read more →
2 months agoDoes the media focus too much on veterans with PTSD on not enough on those who are thriving? Here's insight from three people bold enough to ask our reporter that question.
Read more →
2 months agoWhen Saddleback College's veterans center opened in 2009, it was one of only three in California. Today, there are 14 in Orange County alone. But the University of Southern California's veterans are still working for a space of their own on campus.
Read more →
2 months agoWe've heard from student veterans over and over again that having a physical space on campus is invaluable to navigating life back on campus. But not every school, no matter how veteran-friendly, has a dedicated student veteran center. Does yours?
Read more →
2 months agoTraumatic brain injury often causes trouble with concentration, reading comprehension and memory -- the very things that would likely prevent academic success. For veterans attempting to navigate the rhythms of college life, they can spell disaster.
Read more →
2 months agoWe've heard over and over again from veterans that navigating the stresses of schooling, disability benefits, reintegration and rebuilding relationships is far more easily done when surrounded by others going through the same thing. Here are some of the best resources we've found for doing just that.
Read more →
2 months agoAfter seven years of serving in the Army, Sgt. Danielle Adams joined the Army Reserve, and, using her GI Bill benefits, she is completing her degree in political science.
Read more →
3 months agoIf you served in the U.S. military, your expertise can help reporters tell the story of the modern veteran experience. Here are a few specific ways your experience can help others understand this generation of veterans.
Read more →
3 months agoStudent veterans tell us how much they love the benefits offered to them in the Post-9/11 GI Bill. But those benefits still can't guarantee success -- especially on campuses unprepared to serve students returning from war.
Read more →
4 months agoSgt. Andrew Napier was a medic: He was trained to recognize the signs of TBI in his men. Now, he sees them in himself as he navigates life back home.
Read more →
4 months agoWe want your help telling the story of the student veteran experience. Tell us what it's been like to transition from the military to the classroom. What's been easy? What's been difficult? How is the GI Bill working for you?
Read more →
4 months ago"If the current GI Bill wasn't an option, I would be one of the many veterans who are currently unemployed or struggling with a low-income job. The GI Bill is helping me build a future in work and in life."
Read more →
4 months agoNearly 5 years after the Post-9/11 GI Bill went into effect, there's no authoritative data on its progress. But this year, the Department of Veterans Affairs and student-veteran groups are pairing up to change that.
Read more →
4 months ago"I am a 26-year-old college student, where my classmates are 18. I am just starting my life, after I have lived a complete one already."
Read more →
4 months ago"I deployed twice to Iraq as a student and I was away for three semesters each time. Each time I came back, it was hard to get back the momentum I once had."
Read more →
5 months agoStudent veterans with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury face a distinctive set of obstacles to success.
Read more →
5 months agoMechel Glass knows that helping veterans manage their money goes far beyond understanding military benefits and special tax rules. Here is the advice she offers to other personal finance counselors who work with this growing population.
Read more →
