Chaning From Sailor Life To Student Life

McHenry County College student Steve Czarnecki has been getting reacclimated to civilian life after serving four years in the U.S. Navy through August 2012. As a boatswains mate third class aboard the USS Mesa Verde LPD-19, he saw more of the world in four years than most of his peers would see in a lifetime.

He was deployed to the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Arabian and Persian Gulf regions, which included two combat zones, one off the coast of Iraq and one off of Libya, during the Libyan uprising. He piloted his ship across oceans and worked as an onboard firefighter. When the earthquake hit Haiti in 2010, Czarnecki operated a forklift to unload supplies from the ship and helped build makeshift hospitals as part of a humanitarian effort by the U.S. and other countries.

Transitioning from Sailor to Student

Czarnecki, who lives in Woodstock, enlisted in the Navy at age 17. While his high school classmates were starting new jobs or preparing to go away to college in the summer of 2008, Czarnecki departed for boot camp at Great Lakes Naval Base and was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia the following December.

“I always had a fascination with ships. They represent strength,” he said.

Now, the 23-year-old veteran is using his Post-9/11 GI Bill toward college tuition, books and a living stipend. He enrolled at MCC last spring to begin working toward an Associate in Applied Science degree in fire science and hopes to someday apply his valuable military experience toward a firefighting career. “Being in the military matures you a lot,” Czarnecki said. “I have a unique point a view coming out of the Navy, but it’s lonely sometimes because I’ve done so much in my life and then I come here and everyone’s just starting out with their adult lives. It’s about trying to fit in.”

Student Veterans Resource Center Is Officaly Open Since Nov. 8

Czarnecki understands the daunting task of returning home from the military, looking for a job and fitting in again. He plans to help other veterans become successful in their educational endeavors and transition into the workplace through his student worker role as liaison for McHenry County College’s first-ever Student Veterans Resource Center. The center officially opened on Friday, November 8 to offer outreach to the more than 320 active veterans of all ages who attend college classes at MCC.

The center’s hours are Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Services include: technology guidance for class registration, grant and scholarship applications, visiting speakers from Veterans Assistance Commission (VAC) and Transition Living Services (TLS), access to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) counseling, and information about the new statewide Get Skills to Work initiative, a career training partnership with manufacturers and community colleges. Veterans can also participate in Voices of Veterans, a peer group exploring the art of writing about their experiences.

The Student Veterans Resource Center is located inside the MCC Humanities Office in Room C122. The newly-designated space gives the MCC Student Veterans Association (SVA) a regular place to meet on the first and third Wednesdays of each month.

Outreach to Student Veterans

“I’m glad the College established this Center,” said Czarnecki, who also serves as treasurer for the College’s SVA.  “My goal is to reach out to the student veteran community and to make the center’s presence known. We want to learn what’s important to them and what services need to be at the school.” 

 “Vets feel disjointed when they come home. Our new veterans’ center will help them work together and build upon each other. They will help each other with their studies and in the classroom,” said MCC Accounting instructor Don Curfman, who serves as advisor to MCC’s Student Veterans Association.

“It’s a tremendous support for the veterans. MCC has really stepped up in the last three years in working with veterans. This is just one example of the best support of military causes throughout the county that I’ve seen in my 45 years as a veteran,” said Curfman, a retired Navy lieutenant commander who served over 10 years of enlisted service, including during the Viet Nam Conflict.

Student Veteran Population Expected to Grow

According to Lori Keller, associate dean of Humanities and Social Sciences, having the dedicated physical space for the veterans enter allows the college to apply for grants to further the academic support for student veterans. “The Center is focused on education and our academic component is to help veterans through their educational journey, to graduate and to transition into the workforce,” Keller said. “We’re also exploring ways to empower skills and training gained in military as it translates to civilian education,” she said.

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, more than 850,000 troops have returned to civilian life since mid-2009. MCC has gained 125 veterans between last spring and this fall, bringing the total student veterans to 320 and college officials expect that number to grow.

“It’s smart for the college to invest in veterans because the student veteran population will grow because the military is downsizing to save money,” Keller said.

Joe’s Wish Books Scholarship Available for Veterans

The Student Veterans Resource Center is also a place where veterans can find out about scholarships, including Joe’s Wish—Operation Re-Boot, a books scholarship for veterans offered by the Friends of McHenry County College Foundation. Joe’s Wish was established in 2011 by McHenry resident Marianne Ruiz in honor of her father who served in the U.S. Air Force for more than 22 years. Joe’s Wish is dedicated to granting wishes in his memory.

To be eligible for this scholarship that will award its first MCC recipient(s) in Spring 2014, applicants must be a veteran of the U.S military, former or active member of the Reserves, Coast Guard or National Guard and be a resident of McHenry County and submit a 150-200 word essay outlining his or her educational goals.

To apply for the scholarship, visit www.mchenry.edu/supportmcc and click on Foundation Scholarships.

For more information about the Student Veterans Resource Center, contact Don Curfman at (815) 455-8731 or mchenrycc.sva@gmail.com.