Each year, approximately 115,000 veterans separate from the military and decide to pursue higher education as a critical next step in landing a fulfilling career after service. While this is an exciting new chapter, transitioning from military life to a college student can be challenging, especially after years spent away from the classroom. In an effort to help student veterans acclimate to civilian life and successfully earn undergraduate degrees, national nonprofit Warrior-Scholar Project, or WSP, has partnered with Texas A&M University, or TAMU, to host a Humanities and STEM Academic Boot Camp from June 18 through July 2. The intensive curriculum is designed to help veterans prepare for an academic environment while learning strategies to become better students.
During the WSP-TAMU Academic Boot Camp, participants will have the opportunity to learn from university faculty, receive mentoring from fellow student veterans, and begin to adjust to a formal learning environment. A recent study by the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families found that WSP is the only national program of its kind dedicated to veterans that not only provides targeted support for academic success, but also improves social connection and relationships with both faculty and nonveteran students.
“We are proud to partner with Warrior-Scholar Project to host another academic boot camp. This two-week intensive process creates amazing, life-changing impact that facilitates successful transitions,” said Col. Gerald “Jerry” Smith, USMC (Ret.) Director of the TAMU Don & Ellie Knauss Veteran Resource & Support Center.
This is the sixth year that Texas A&M University has partnered with WSP, bolstering the school’s reach to veterans. Often, service members face extraordinary challenges acclimating to civilian life and Warrior-Scholar Project helps them find camaraderie and guidance during a challenging time in their lives. Support from TAMU and investments made by foundations, corporations, and private donors cover the entire cost of the program for participants, including an accessibility stipend of up to $500 for travel, child care, and other expenses. Since the partnership began, 74 veterans have attended the WSP-TAMU Academic Boot Camp.
“The WSP-TAMU Humanities program was incredibly well put together and addressed nearly all concerns relevant to student veterans. It instilled confidence in me as a student,” said Christopher Connolly, a Coast Guard veteran who participated in the virtual WSP-TAMU 2021 summer boot camp.
WSP launched its first boot camp at Yale University in 2012 with nine participants. Since then, the program has expanded to 24 of America’s top schools and has helped nearly 2,000 veterans get a head start in higher education.
About Warrior-Scholar Project
Warrior-Scholar Project (WSP) empowers enlisted veterans and service members to excel at four-year universities. Through intensive and immersive one- to two-week academic boot camps, participants gain skills required for success and support for the cultural shift from the military to higher education at top-tier schools. Throughout WSP’s free resident education programs, students are traditionally housed on campus, and engage in challenging discussions with accomplished professors, receiving tailored instruction on key skills like analytical reading and college-level writing. Warrior-Scholar Project is a national nonprofit with programs at public and private colleges and universities across the country. For more information, visit www.warrior-scholar.org.
About Texas A&M UniversityFounded in 1876 as the state’s first public institution of higher education and a military college, Texas A&M started out as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas. In 1960, the institution was renamed Texas A&M University and has since become one of the nation’s premiere research institutions and one of only six senior military colleges in the country. As a top Tier 1 university that also holds the triple distinction of a land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant designations, Texas A&M continues to be a highly sought-after institution, boasting a current student body of over 65,000. Despite its many changes throughout the years, Texas A&M continues to uphold is its dedication to support those who serve or have served in our nation’s Armed Forces. Military students will find uniquely tailored programs and resources offered through the Don & Ellie Knauss Veteran Resource & Support Center, including a dedicated Military Admissions team, cross-campus partnerships with military liaisons, and numerous events and military-affiliated organizations, offering ample opportunities for engagement. With over a century of military-affiliated student support, Texas A&M has become the destination of choice for our nation’s heroes. For additional information on Texas A&M University’s commitment to Serving Well Those Who Have Served, visit aggieveterans.tamu.edu.
Information courtesy of Warrior-Scholar Project