The Student Veteran Center is a place where California State University, Stanislaus (Stan State) students who have done military service can come to transition back into civilian life in a safe and relaxing environment.

Veteran Affairs Coordinator Chicago Houdek said that The Student Veteran Center has provided an opportunity for many graduating veteran students to begin their careers because of the friendships they made within the center.

“The Student Veteran Center has had an immense impact on the lives of our student veterans and military connected community,” Houdek said. “It is the focal point for veterans on campus as we are able to offer a place where they can study, perform group work, and also connect with other veteran and military connected students.”

According to Michael Spain (masters program, Social Work), a former member of the United States Navy and administrative support assistant for the center, The Student Veteran Center is a resource for veteran students at Stan State.

He said that Houdek has been a helpful source of providing ranges of information, from obtaining Veteran of Foreign Wars (VFW) contact information to information regarding veteran benefits.

Michael Spain (masters program, Social Work) enjoying the lounge area within the Student Veteran Center during his lunch break. (Signal photo/ Kristen Dias)

“He has all the information you need ranging from what you need to apply for to how to pick classes,” Spain said.

The Student Veteran Center is “an environment of respect, safety, and community for all who enter,” according to Stan State’s Student Veteran Center webpage.

The center, located in room 113 of the Student Services Building, provides student veterans with a safe place to speak with other veterans about difficulties they are facing during the process of transitioning back to civilian life.

Alexis Saavedra (junior, Business Management, Operations and Human Resources), formerly of the United States Marine Corps, is a student worker for the Student Veteran Center throughout the week.

She stated that the center is a place where veteran students help each other with homework, picking professors for classes, and letting other veteran students know which professors are “Vet. friendly.”

Alexis Saavedra (junior, Business Management, Operations and Human Resources) working in the Student Veterans Center’s computer area. (Signal photo/ Kristen Dias)

“A lot of teachers are really understanding about that,” Saavedra said. “[Student veterans] have the camaraderie that not a lot of other students understand, so this is like our little safe zone where we can talk to each other without having to have any filters.”

Saavedra added that some veteran students have trouble sleeping at night and will sleep on the couch in the lounging area of the Student Veteran Center at times.

“We’re just hanging out, that’s just the comfortability this place brings despite your past, we’re all just friends and family,” Spain said.

Brightly lit lounging area found within the Student Veteran Center. (Signal Photo/ Kristen Dias)

Not only does the Student Veteran Center provide veteran students with a place to rest their heads, but the facility also has a refrigerator, television, gaming system, computers and coffee with mugs provided.

Houdek, who has worked at the Student Veteran Center since March of 2015, stated that the center is a place for veteran students to “find a friendly place and a connection to their previous world” with others who understand the experiences that they have gone through.

“Transitioning back into civilian life is probably the single greatest challenge facing our veteran students. Life becomes much more independent outside of the military and our student veterans are now faced with a sharp contrast to assimilate into new roles. The Student Veteran Center is here to help with that transition and make the challenge of the next steps much less daunting,” Houdek said.

Alexis Saavedra (junior, Business Management, Operations and Human Resources) displaying a box of crocheted hats made and to be donated to children in hospitals by people from the Student Veteran Center. (Signal photo/ Kristen Dias)

 For Saavedra, the center is an opportunity for her to talk with other female veterans within the Veterans Center.

“September 11, I was in the sixth or seventh grade and I was like ‘I know I want to do something’, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do yet. I think my freshman or sophomore year [of high school] I was like ‘I’m going to go into the military’,” Saavedra said.

She officially joined the Marines Corps. at nineteen-years-old and was later deployed to Iraq on a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU).

“It definitely made me stronger. I’m the first one in my family to go into any branch; I’m the first one in my family to go forward with my education,” Saavedra said.

Spain, who assisted in building the Student Veteran Center, stated that before Veterans Services received grant money to build the center, veteran students had a few tables and chairs.

Now, Houdek said many veteran students use the center as a meeting place. He added that his favorite part about his position in the Student Veteran Center is helping students “achieve their dreams of graduating at a university.”

“I remember when I left the military and the challenges that I faced and had no one to guide me through the process to make the best possible decisions regarding my academics and my benefits. This is what I can offer to the best of my ability,” Houdek said.