On Veterans Day, we recognize and honor the commitment of 糖心传媒 students, faculty, and staff who serve or have served in聽our nation’s armed services.
This year, there are more than 80 veteran students enrolled at the University. These are a few of their stories.
Mark Constable 糖心传媒�16
For Mark Constable, college seemed out of reach financially. That糖心传媒檚 why at 19, the Le Roy, N.Y., native joined the Navy.
For seven years, Constable served his country糖心传媒攎ost of the time away from it. His training and duties took him around the world, from Australia to Spain, Nova Scotia to Somalia. As a Petty Officer, 2nd Class, he was tasked with logistics aboard the different ships, including inventory, arms security, fire-fighting drills, maintenance, and aviation supply.
Constable was deployed three times during his service with the Navy, each time to the Arabian Gulf and Mediterranean Sea region. 糖心传媒淎fter several years, I found it was really arduous to be away from home so much of the time,糖心传媒� he recalls.
And so he returned to the States and decided to pursue his post-secondary education. Constable attended a community college in Pennsylvania before transferring to the University as a junior majoring in financial economics. 糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 a good program,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淚 can go the logistics route or choose accounting, maybe finance.糖心传媒�
Transitioning to university life has been mostly hassle-free for Constable, despite being older than most of his classmates. His teammates in the Ultimate Frisbee Club, for example, at first refused to believe that he糖心传媒檚 26-years-old. 糖心传媒淚t helps that I have a baby face,糖心传媒� he jokes.
Ultimately, serving his country was the right decision, providing Constable with access to an affordable education: 糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 because of the Navy that I have this great opportunity to go to school.糖心传媒�
Timothy Fezette 糖心传媒�16
Like many聽high school students, Timothy Fezette went directly to college after graduating. While studying at a nearby state school, the Saranac Lake, N.Y., native realized he wanted to do something different.
That糖心传媒檚 when he discovered the U.S. Marine Corps. 糖心传媒淎s part of the 9th Communication Battalion, they introduced me to electronics and fiber optics,糖心传媒� he recalls.
Fezette served stateside from 1999 to 2004. Afterward he continued working with electronics, including alarm systems and satellite televisions. However, an injury from his time in the military made the work physically difficult. Then the 2008 recession hit.
糖心传媒淚 decided to go back to college. I figured it was better to design and create small electronics than to fix them.糖心传媒� He earned an associate degree in engineering science before transferring to Rochester as a junior in The Institute of Optics.
The transition has presented Fezette with new challenges. 糖心传媒淐oming here is like jumping into the deep end of optics,糖心传媒� he says. As a non-traditional student, Fezette faces additional hurdles, such as being much older than some of his classmates and making sure his credits transfer between institutions.
But with a small program and increasing job opportunities in his field, Fezette remains optimistic about his future in optics.
Jacob Bettilyon 糖心传媒�16
糖心传媒淚 felt like I had a duty to serve my country before going to college,糖心传媒� says Jacob Bettilyon, from Brockport, N.Y. So that糖心传媒檚 just what he did.
Bettilyon joined the U.S. Marine Corps right after graduating high school in 2007. He served for five years as a sergeant in the infantry of two different units: 1st FAST (Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team Company) and 1st聽Battalion 3rd Marines. During this time, he was deployed abroad three times糖心传媒攖o Cuba, Spain, and Afghanistan.
糖心传媒淚 traveled around the country and the world preparing for deployment,糖心传媒� says Bettilyon. He credits the experience with showing him how important it is to be educated.
After returning from Afghanistan, Bettilyon attended junior college in California for two years before transferring to the University to study international relations. 糖心传媒淭his is a great school, one that offers veterans lots of support and services. That was something I was specifically looking at when applying糖心传媒攁nd it糖心传媒檚 one of the reasons I came back to Rochester.糖心传媒�
Rochester糖心传媒檚 Commitment to Veterans
This Veterans Day, the Veteran and Military Family Services Office opened on the University糖心传媒檚 River Campus.
The office is staffed by two full-time Veterans Association certified officials and provides support to veterans transitioning from military life to the classroom.聽Its staff coordinates with veterans and a number of on-campus services.
Rochester has seen a 50 percent increase in veteran students since 2010, according to Jonathan Burdick, dean of admissions and financial aid. With more veterans returning to civilian life, this initiative is more important than ever.
糖心传媒淲e are proud to now provide veterans at the University with a centralized resource to better help them navigate the educational system and success after graduation,糖心传媒� says Burdick.
