Park University is known for its diverse population of students hailing from backgrounds of every walk of life. One of the many unique walks of life that Park prides itself on is military and veteran students.
Thanks to the Warrior Center, a program that Director Stephen Terry revamped in 2009, active duty, wounded warrior and veteran students from any branch of the United States military receive help in transitioning into a complete college experience.
The center provides a space for military students to not only work on school related assignments and projects but also a place on campus where they are surrounded by people with the same experience.
“Coming off active duty, it was comforting coming to a place where people know your experience,” said Candace Melendez, a junior in management and marketing.
The center provides mentoring, a study center, a mini bookstore for students to borrow from, free printing, free snacks and a comfortable social environment for students of any kind of military background. It also provides graduate and undergraduate students work study positions funded by the university as well as veteran affairs.
The students of the center said that one of the most helpful aspects of the center are the mentors who walk new students through the process of understanding the intricacies of their GI Bill papers and how to use them in regards to their education at Park University.
“The mentors help through the entire process,” said Ryan Bissing, a continuing education student working on his criminal justice degree. “They help you learn the ropes from your perspective.”
The center’s comprehensive program is administered by Terry and, as of spring 2015 semester, Assistant Director Wade Abel.
Before becoming assistant director, Abel was part of UMKC’s ROTC program, which is where he first became involved with Park University because of their practices and drills with the UMKC guard.
“The Warrior Center helps military students exponentially when they come in,” said Abel. “We want to help new students feel comfortable, too.”
Park’s link with military students doesn’t end there. The strong bonds the veterans form in service translate to the atmosphere of the room the Warrior Center occupies in lower Thompson Commons, and from there. Out of the 40 campus centers Park University operates, a majority of them are on or near military forts. This provides an even wider opportunity for the success and connections made at the Warrior Center to extend to Park military students, no matter course or campus they attend.
When the center and its students aren’t helping their own on their path to success, they are hosting events on and around campus from holding a 5K marathon in the English Landing Park to remembering the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11 in New York by reading the list of names of the victims.
The center was also involved in recognizing a Park University graduate Lewis Millet who received the Medal of Honor, the highest U.S. military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the armed forces.
Park University’s military students seem proud to stand by each other at the end of the day at the Warrior Center.
“There may be playful joking but all branches are welcome,” said Cordell Hylton, a graduate student in communication and leadership. “We’re all family here.”