Feb 17th, 2016
The office of veterans affairs at Jackson State Community College hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony today for its new military student center on the school's main campus. Students, college administrators, faculty, and staff along with others from the community were on hand to help celebrate this momentous occasion.
A suite of offices in the F. E. Wright Administration building was renovated as a place JSCC military students can call their own. Funding for this project came from a grant through the Veterans Reconnect program.
Kristine Nakutis, veterans affairs coordinator for JSCC, secured a $94,151 grant through Tennessee Reconnect that can be utilized to aid in the recruitment and support of military students and their eligible dependents. "There are a number of things planned for the funds that will greatly aid in outreach to our military students," said Nakutis. "The new student center is something that has been sorely needed to provide our military students the support they need on social, academic, and administrative levels."
Nakutis mentions that this will go a long way in supporting the military students of the college. "Military students are typically a little older than most other students at the college," she states, "and their experiences can be vastly different than the 'average' student."
The center provides the college's military students an area to associate with other military students. The new center also contains a lounge, computer room with CAC readers, conference area, snack bar, and services such as tutoring.