Marine veteran finds support for transition at McHenry County College
Marine veteran James Revenaugh joined the military at age 17 to get leadership experience, build character and strengthen his self-discipline.
He served for nine years and then returned home to continue his college education. Transitioning from Marine to student was challenging, he said, but as a McHenry County College student, he found the support he needed.
"It was a weird transition," Revenaugh said, referring to being nearly 10 years older than traditional-age students and being surrounded by people who didn't have to follow a strict dress code every day.
Revenaugh's transition also exposed him to a different way of life that he's known for nearly a decade - one that was not a matter of life and death situations.
"It was weird not having a set place and time to be without having people's lives depend on it," he said, adding that he just felt out of place.
Soon, he found his niche with the college's Student Veterans Resource Center and the MCC chapter of Student Veterans of America, where he serves as president.
SVA members volunteer each year to sell poppies on campus and in the community, volunteer at the annual Patriot 5K run at MCC and volunteer for Bunker Hill Charities. This summer, the SVA members will volunteer at Soulful Prairies in Woodstock and in return for their volunteer hours, will receive free counseling.
Revenaugh, who lives in Woodstock, aspires to become a nurse anesthetist. To make the most use of his GI Bill, which pays for 36 months of his college education, he is currently enrolled in 18 credit hours and will enroll in certified nursing assistant classes at MCC this summer.
He said that SVA adviser Don Curfman and others who work with the 146 student veterans at MCC have empowered him and helped keep him focused. Curfman had served in the U.S. Navy for 26 years from 1968-1994 before coming to MCC to teach accounting for 24 years. He is retiring from the college in June.
"Don Curfman kept my head on my shoulders," Revenaugh said. "He reassured me and other vets that our feelings were normal. Plus, seeing other veterans in the veterans center on campus helped. I was new in McHenry County and had no friends in this area, but I made my first friends at the MCC's veterans center."
In addition to moral support and camaraderie, student veterans at MCC also receive one-on-one academic advising and laptop and textbook grants through generous community donors.
Revenaugh said he was surprised to see so much support of veterans at MCC.
"MCC has provided veterans all the services possible to make our lives easier," Revenaugh said. "I was in the Marine Corps for nine years until I got out last September and I jumped straight into school. It was such a culture shock, but the people and services at MCC has eased me into this transition and I couldn't be more grateful."
The efforts to support veterans have earned McHenry County College the distinction of being named a Bronze Level Military Friendly School for 2019-2020 from VIQTORY, a veteran-owned business, which honors colleges, universities and trade schools that are doing the most to embrace America's veterans as students. A Bronze designation means that MCC is in the top 30 percent of more than 2,000 schools recognized as veteran-friendly nationwide.
The Military Friendly designation based on survey scores and an assessment of the institution's ability to meet thresholds for student retention, graduation, job placement, loan repayment, persistence (degree advancement or transfer) and loan default rates for all students and, specifically, for student veterans.
When veterans come into the Financial Aid office, staff members explain the various parts of the GI Bill they are eligible for and how each one works and what they pay. Student veterans are also informed about the IVG Illinois Veterans Grant and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and get help completing the forms, if needed.
"I think it's awesome that an outside organization, like Military Friendly Schools, acknowledges the hard work and outstanding customer service that MCC puts forth to attract student veterans," Curfman said. "MCC has tremendously dedicated employees who go out of their way to ensure student veterans and their families feel welcome. Also, McHenry County community members have come together to provide laptop and book scholarships to our student veterans."
The 2019-2020 Military Friendly Schools list can also be found at www.militaryfriendly.com.