FOX 21 News, KQDS-DT

In the latest edition of College Connection, FOX 21's Dan Hanger takes you to the College of St. Scholastica where there's a growing focus of meeting the needs of military members and veterans.

David Martin, 33, is a military veteran, father of an 8-year-old boy and now a student at the Scholastica.

"Give yourself the chance. If you're scared of going to school and learning, don't be, because it's nowhere near as difficult as what we are just coming from," Martin said.

Peter Beckstrom, 29, is also a military veteran and student at CSS.

"We are a pretty close group, and we joke around, and it's a sense being back in the service again without the good stuff and none of the bad," Beckstrom said.

Both of men say Scholastica has given them the support and sense of community needed to successfully transition from military life to life inside the classroom.
They also point to one room known as the Veteran's Resource Center that's like home base for vets on campus.

"It's just very comfortable. We have the Veteran's Center and strong support by the other veterans. We really seem a lot like a family here," Martin said.

"Coming to school, you want that camaraderie, and the VRC allows you to have that should you need it," Beckstrom said.

Jessica Johnston is the coordinator of the VRC who says it's all about meeting the needs of every student --providing a platform for everyone's story to be told.

"They have such wonderful stories, and every single military student -- active veterans - been deployed -- not been deployed -- has their own individual story. That's my favorite part of this job," Johnston said.