JOHNSON CITY – After almost 12 years of active duty in the United States Marine Corps, Jake Berens wanted to pursue a career in medicine.
The health sciences major, now the president of the ETSU Student Veterans of America, started classes at ETSU in January 2022.
“The Office of Military and Veteran Services at ETSU consists of an incredible team of veterans whose passion has been instrumental in improving the veteran and military-affiliated student experience on campus,” he said. “The work that this office does is remarkable, and the value is impossible to measure for the students they serve. The office staff serve as advocates, advisers, VA education experts, coaches and community representatives, and they fill all of those roles above and beyond what is expected of them.”
He added: “Working with the Office of Military and Veteran Services to build a military-affiliated student community on campus has been remarkable. They serve as an absolute catalyst for the efforts of the Student Veterans of America at ETSU as well as the rest of our student population.”
Experiences like that have helped ETSU secure the Military Friendly® School designation for the 13th consecutive year. It is a notable honor that institutions earn through public data analysis and responses from surveys.
ETSU moved up on this list this year, too, shifting from bronze to silver, the second-highest designation available.
Home to hundreds of veterans and military-affiliated students, including military spouses, ETSU takes considerable steps to aid those who served in uniform.
They receive priority registration for classes each semester, get exclusive access to social and study space at ETSU’s Military-Affiliated Student Resource Center, receive membership in the ETSU chapter of the Student Veterans of America and get consistent personalized support from Military and Veteran Services.
Work-study positions for those using GI Bill® benefits, scholarships and out-of-state tuition waivers are also an option.
“This is a tremendous honor that ETSU has worked hard to earn,” said Dan Bishop, director of Military and Veteran Services. “Still, I don’t want us to get complacent. We have a great tradition at this university of producing servant leaders, and I want to see that continue.”
To learn more about scholarships and other benefits available to military-affiliated students at ETSU, visit Military and Veteran Services or contact va@etsu.edu or (423) 439-6819.