Clark State Community College will dedicate a new student Veterans Lounge on the second floor of Rhodes Hall on the Leffel Lane Campus. The dedication ceremony will begin at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 9.
Speakers at the event will include Clark State President Dr. Jo Alice Blondin; Col. John Devillier, commander, 88th Air Base Wing at Wright Patterson Air Force Base; Col. Tim Gorrell, director of the Ohio Department of Veterans Services; Ohio House of Representative Kyle Koehler; student veteran Jeremiah White; and Student Senate President Cecil Pratt.
Student veteran Jeremiah White is from St. Paris, Ohio, and graduated from Graham High School in 2001. He served two years in the United States Air Force as an aircraft maintenance scheduler. White also formulated flight plans on a daily, weekly, monthly and annual basis. “I thought my job was amazing,” he said. “I could look out my office window and see the flight line every day.”
White graduated from Clark State in May of this year with degrees in Computer Networking and CyberSecurity/Information Assurance. He is currently enrolled in transfer courses at Clark State while pursuing a bachelor's degree in Information Technology from Franklin University.
“It is awesome that veterans have a special gathering place within the college to make new social connections with other veterans and possibly form a bond that will be similar to those bonds made during our time of military service,” said White.
White said he plans to utilize the veterans lounge at Clark State and encourage other veteran students to do the same. “We are proud to have served our country defending freedom so that all Americans can enjoy the liberties that some may take for granted.”
Dana L. Kapp, veteran services specialist for Clark State, said the lounge supports Clark State’s mission to provide veterans with a space in which they can meet, study and socialize with other veterans. “Providing such a space on campus is important for the transition from military to college,” she said. “Further, the lounge will act as an information center where students can access veteran-specific materials relating to college and community veteran resources and events.”
There are more than 100 student veterans enrolled at Clark State. This year, Clark State was designated as a Purple Heart Campus and also offers priority registration for veterans and active military.
“The new Veterans Lounge will provide student veterans with a place to call their own,” said Theresa Felder, vice president of student affairs and Greene Center operations for Clark State. “They now have a place to meet, study, hold meetings and just spend time together. It’s another way Clark State has committed to serving our veterans.”