Colorado Veterans Support

“I enlisted in the U. S. Navy and became a hospital corpsman. I came to CU Boulder to pursue a career in the aerospace industry. I initially struggled academically. The VMA hired it’s first-ever professional math tutor. I began attending tutoring sessions to improve my academics. Having access to that tutor was the key to improving my grades and I am now pursuing my degree.”

“I enlisted in the U. S. Marine Corps at age 24 and was one of the first women to attempt ground infantry training. There were 27 women in my training platoon who attempted this training; only six graduated. When I left the Marine Corps, there were only 122 who had successfully completed ground infantry training. My greatest challenge when I arrived at CU Boulder was the transition to an environment that did not have an established formal structure. To add to the transition challenges I went through a divorce with financial issues. I was not able to enroll due to my debts. The VMA used the Student Veteran Relief Fund to pay my bills and allow me to enroll in classes.”

“I enlisted in the Navy at age 22 and after a number of years achieved a specialty in surface nuclear reactors. My biggest challenge was a campus where the average age was from 18 to 22. Using resources on campus and networking opportunities provided by VMA, I landed a job upon graduation in May 2019. I found my dream job with Ball Aerospace with a salary in the high five figures.”

“It was an honor to serve in the Army, but after 9 years of active duty with 3 deployments, I decided to leave the Army and enroll at CU. I am a computer science major going into my senior year. My GI Benefits are running out so the VMA Scholarship will really help. CU is a great University and Colorado is an amazing state but the cost of living is expensive. I am confident that this scholarship will help veterans to finish their degrees, so I want to say thank you.”

“I enlisted in the U. S. Marine Corps at age 22 and rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant in the Special Operations Command and had three combat deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan and Jordan. During my deployment to Iraq, I suffered a traumatic brain injury when an enemy mortar landed 10 feet from my position. I came to CU Boulder directly from the battlefield and found an immediate sense of community in the VMA office. I was referred to the Marcus Brain Institute in Denver and my follow-up care transitioned to the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. I’m aware of the high national ranking of the physics department at CU and I am now pursuing a graduate degree and PhD in physics.”