(Delaware and Chester Counties, PA)— U.S. Army veteran Alex Chapman of Chester used to build tanks. Now, he wants to build a graphic design business. A father of three in his 40s, he attends Delaware County Community College and is using his veterans’ benefits to attend school.

Chapman spent the last several years years working night shift as a mechanic for a large Philadelphia hotel—and realized he wanted something more. “I was missing daylight—and my family.” He was inspired to return to college when he saw his 68-year-old mother earn her master’s degree.

Upon arriving at DCCC he planned to major in Engineering—and aced his first class. Yet a College core requirement course in Art History changed his trajectory—and his life. “Professor Olivia Florek made the material come alive, I was doing well on the quizzes, and I was totally tuned in. It reminded me of my love of drawing when I was young. I changed my major to Graphic Design.”

Alex Chapman

Chapman has settled into college life and has a work-study job in DCCC’s Nazz Mariani Veterans Center, which provides a dedicated study and lounge space, academic support and benefits guidance for student veterans and active-duty service members enrolled at DCCC.

“This is the best experience I’ve ever had in school, and the most fun I’ve had learning,” Chapman says. His goals are to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, start his own business and produce a graphic novel.

Jenné Jones of Folcroft, a mother of four, spent seven years in the U.S. Navy and Pennsylvania National Guard. She is active in her local veterans’ community, which encouraged her to return to college. The owner of a small cleaning business that serves 11 commercial properties, she wanted to develop the business skills that would help her grow her company. 

Jones is majoring in Business Administration, taking all her classes at DCCC’s Southeast Center in Drexel Hill, just minutes from her home. “I’m taking English and Algebra, and the classes are great,” she says. “I am using my veterans’ benefits. Getting my associate degree is a lifelong dream of mine, and I plan to continue to go on to pursue my bachelor’s and master’s degrees.”

As a DCCC student, Jones is also networking. DCCC veteran services coordinator Mike Shultz connected her with an opportunity to earn a Villanova Women’s Leadership Development Certificate for Veterans and Military Spouses in STEM. Co-hosted by the Anne Welsh McNulty Institute for Women’s Leadership at Villanova University, the program builds leadership skills for veterans and military spouses in STEM fields. Tuition and housing are largely offset by a grant from The Boeing Company, leaving participants with a $200 deposit fee plus travel costs. 

Jones got to live and study on Villanova’s campus for a week, with all meals included. “It was a great experience, meeting other vets, gaining leadership skills and developing new relationships,” she says. “And I wouldn’t have known about the opportunity were I not a DCCC student.”

Jones and Chapman understand that some veterans feel trepidation about returning to the classroom after a long absence. “Take it one step at a time,” Jones says. “The veterans’ benefits give you more than enough time to pursue your education.”

Adds Chapman, “You’re never too old to get an education or better yourself. If you’re a veteran, take advantage of the education benefits. The hardest step is walking in the door. Once you do that, DCCC will take care of you.”   

The Office of Veteran and Military Services, anchored by the Nazz Mariani Veterans Center, helps veterans and families navigate VA benefits and offers preferential registration.

“College is not easy for anyone, and earning a degree or certificate is by its nature meant to challenge students. It can be extra challenging for veterans, as there is the additional stress of navigating the educational benefits process,” said DCCC Veteran Services coordinator Shultz.

Veterans have access to tuition assistance at the state, federal, and sometimes county level for Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard veterans. They come from a variety of backgrounds and life experiences, and some benefits can also transfer to their families.

“Having been a student veteran myself, and having navigated these systems myself, I understand how difficult and confusing this can be and try to help students navigate these requirements to make their experience as seamless as possible,” Shultz says. “Because of this, we try to offer a holistic approach that starts with getting to know our newly enrolled students from the very start and then working with them throughout the benefits usage process.” For more information on veteran and military services at DCCC, visit dccc.edu/veterans or contact Mike Shultz at 610-359-5347 or mshultz1@dccc.edu.