Florida Tech has many resources available for military and veteran students who transfer in from active duty, reserve service, or a two-year college.
One of those resources is the Florida Tech Veteran’s Club. The organization supports military and veteran students morally, academically and socially to succeed.
President of the club, Brian Ewanyk, is a veteran himself. Ewanyk served eight years in the United States Army, four in active duty and four in the U.S. Army Reserve.
Ewanyk said that becoming president of the Veteran’s Club is a way to revamp and maintain the welcoming community of fellow student-veterans on campus, with the aim of helping them to excel as students.
He pointed out that veteran and military service members ‘think about things differently, deal with things differently and relate to things differently,’ compared to civilian students.
Ewanyk states, “Our primary focus is the veterans.”
Ewanyk shared about his last year’s experience attending Florida Tech’s Transfer Orientation.
“I realized I am not just graduating high school. I live off-campus, I have my own car. I have been in the world. There is a big separation between me and those who are transfer students [consecutive from two-year colleges to FIT].”
Ewanyk is currently working with the local Department of Veteran Affairs to get the VA Patient’s Advocate from the VA Viera Medical Clinic to visit Florida Tech’s main campus next semester.
The advocate would serve as a liaison for the clinic in providing information and answering questions from transitioning student-veterans on VA health coverage.
The Veteran’s Club also has the support of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4206, where the Veteran’s Club conducts their bi-weekly general meetings. VFW Post 4206 has a promotional program which will cover a one year membership for any eligible student veterans who meet the requirements.
At last week’s Homecoming football game, the Veteran’s Club and the American Legion 403 joined forces to spearhead the Flag Retirement Ceremony prior to kickoff.
Florida Tech’s Military Affair Office serves as the Certifying Official for transferring veterans, active members and dependents seeking to receive the Post 9/11 GI Bill or other VA financial benefits.
The Military Affairs Office serves as a liaison between the student-veteran and the VA Regional Processing Office.
GI Jobs, a veteran-owned business, has consistently named Florida Tech a ‘military friendly’ school in reference to its efforts to recruit, support and retain American veterans, active or reserve service members as students.
US News and World Report ranked Florida Tech #39 out of 234 schools among the Best Colleges for Veterans in 2013.
Last week, Florida Tech was deemed one of the top Militarized Universities in the U.S. by Vice News.
Vice News highlighted Florida Tech’s Criminal Justice Program and focus on Homeland Security as being a excellent choice for students interested in learning about the demand for technology in the intelligence industry.
