Over a hundred people took part in a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of the newly expanded Veterans Resource Center (VRC) at San Diego Miramar College. The ceremony featured guest speakers, the Mira Mesa High School Junior Air Force ROTC color guard, and a performance by the 3rd Marine Aircraft Band from Miramar Corp Air Station Miramar.
The newly expanded Veterans Resource Center is located on the ground floor of the English Building (I-104).
Former California State Representative Brian Maienschein attended the event and was presented with a plaque honoring his leadership, which back in October of 2022, led to the funding used to enhance the VCR. Then State Assemblymember for the 77th California Assembly District, Maienschein, secured $2.5 million in funds from the California 2022-2023 budget. “This is going to provide a tremendous amount of resources for Veterans in our region,” said Maienschein. “If you look at it, in the state of California very often times Veterans are an overlooked group, and community college students are an overlooked group, and here we are able to combine the funds to help both of them, and that’s what makes today extra special.”
This funding has provided enhanced services and infrastructure to the College’s military community, which totaled 2,500 military affiliated students during the last academic year. The new construction has expanded the VRC facility from a roughly 1,000 square foot space to roughly 3,000 square feet. The facility is now equipped with new furniture, private study and meeting rooms, a technology room, and a student lounge. Expanded services include: peer mentoring; tutoring; admissions support; orientation; expanded access to VA benefits; and mental health counseling services. Additionally, the VRC will now house the very first full-time counselor dedicated to our Veterans, with additional academic and career counseling hours to support.
“The military community is a distinct culture,” said Gregory Smith, chancellor of the San Diego Community College District. “And in order to best serve our military community, we need to intentionally create spaces where people can come together and they can be. And they can be in a community and create belonging and have success.”
In addition, with this funding Miramar College will provide an upgrade to its satellite teaching facility at Marine Corp Air Station Miramar (MCAS).
“This funding has allowed us to provide improved services and infrastructure to better support our military community,” said Ron Felix, Miramar College Student Services Technician at MCAS Miramar. “Specifically, we have been able to expand our footprint at the satellite office at MCAS Miramar, enabling us to upgrade all technology and furniture, ensuring our spaces are both functional and welcoming. We are grateful for this investment in our military students and are excited to see the positive impact these improvements will have on their educational experience.”
Gabby Starsnic, president of the Student Veterans Organization at Miramar College added, “Today, we are not just opening doors, we are building a lasting legacy of support and resilience for student veterans and those affiliated at Miramar College.”
Each year San Diego Miramar College provides a comprehensive set of enrollment and student support services to approximately 2,500 veterans, active duty military and their dependents through its Veteran Resource Center (VRC). The VRC supports the transition from military life to civilian life by providing all military affiliated students with support in accessing VA benefits and federal financial aid; enrolling in courses; accessing academic counseling and mental health services; and by providing dedicated academic support services such as tutoring, access to computers, and career development resource information. The VRC also provides military affiliated students with a dedicated space to meet and talk with peers who had shared experiences.
A photo gallery of the ribbon cutting ceremony and Veterans Resource Center can be found here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/195788696@N02/albums/72177720324061423
A video recap of the event can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLnrfDMXuYA
KUSI-TV coverage of the event can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NX18nRw8OaU
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