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Military Matters
MILITARYMATTERS AN ARMED FORCES NEWS SECTION
PENSACOLA STATE COLLEGE SALUTED AS MILITARY FRIENDLY SCHOOL by Troy Moon
Once again, Pensacola State College has been acknowledged as a top school for military veterans. programs that assist veterans are Veterans Student Support Services and Veterans Upward Bound.
PSC was named one of 625 “Military Friendly Schools” for 2020-2021 by VIQTORY, a veteran-owned company that connects former military members to civilian employment and educational opportunities.
This is the eleventh consecutive year that VIQTORY has named Pensacola State College as a Military Friendly school.
In November, Pensacola State was named one of the 2020 “Best for Vets Schools” by the Military Times.
“This community loves veterans,’’ said Bill Tice, director of the college’s Veterans Student Support Services. “Pensacola State College is very pro-military. We’re fortunate to have two TRIO programs that focus specifically on veterans.”
TRIO is a federally-funded initiative that includes eight programs targeted at specific demographics. PSC’s TRIO “With nearly 20 percent of our total enrollment either veterans and their dependents or active duty personnel and their dependents, it’s extremely important for us to let the military community know that we have scholarships, special support services, grants – there’s a whole litany of services – that are here to help them succeed and move forward,’’ said PSC President Ed Meadows.
VIQTORY rates schools as “Military Friendly” based on six criteria: Academic Policies and Compliance; Admissions and Orientation; Culture and Commitment; Financial Aid and Assistance; Graduation and Career; and Military Student Support and Retention.
PSC exceeded standards in all six categories.
The college scored best on “Culture and Commitment,’’ with the college rating exceeding the “Military Friendly”
benchmark standard by nearly 95 percent.
“I think this award is indicative of the success of the students with military affiliations that attend Pensacola State College, whether they are active duty, veterans, or dependents of someone with an affiliation,’’ said Michael Johnston, the College’s executive director of Institutional Research. “Our military students achieve great success while being enrolled, they have impressive graduation rates and have no studentloan debt. This allows them to enter the workforce or advance in their current roles with a quality education.”
Because of the relationship of Northwest Florida to the military, PSC offers numerous services to help active duty military, veterans and military dependents to succeed:
• Specific mentoring/onboarding programs for new military/veteran students • Formal mentoring or advising program in which faculty or staff members who are current or former members of the military mentor students who are military service members or veterans • A minimum of three fulltime veteran counselors or advisors on staff. • Student Veterans Association (SVA), which is on campus, for military service members or veterans • Career planning services for military service members or veterans • Training of staff to support military/veteran students • Academic support/tutoring • Academic advising • Study skills workshops • Financial aid counseling • Career planning services • Assistance in finding workstudy opportunities • Assistance in finding nonwork study employment • Assistance in integrating with non-veteran groups and services on campus • Transition assistance • Accommodations for military students with disabilities.
Meadows said it is important for Pensacola State to earn the “Military Friendly” designation “because of the number of military that we have in our area and the number of veterans who have retired to Pensacola and Northwest Florida.”
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PENSACOLA NATIVE SERVES ON U.S. NAVAL FORCES SOUTHERN COMMAND/U.S. FOURTH FLEET STAFF By Lt. Lily Hinz
Five years ago, Petty Officer 2nd Class Laurin Robinson, a native of Pensacola, Florida, joined the Navy because she wanted to carry on her grandfather’s legacy and is now serving on the staff of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. Fourth Fleet.
Robinson is an information systems technician (IT) who is responsible for network administration, database management and computer hardware and software implementation.
“I love being an IT because the skills acquired in the rate are translatable and relevant,” said Robinson.
Robinson is 2010 graduate of Booker T. Washington High School. According to Robinson, the values required to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Pensacola. “You have to choose to either work hard to make something of yourself or opt to fall to peer pressure and become stagnant," said Robinson. "In the end, you must own up to the life you choose."
With more than 90 percent of all trade traveling by sea, and 95 percent of the world’s international phone and internet traffic carried through fiber optic cables lying on the ocean floor, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity and security of the United States is directly linked to a strong and ready Navy.
U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. Fourth Fleet supports U.S. Southern Command joint and combined military operations by employing maritime forces in cooperative maritime security operations in order to maintain access, enhance interoperability, and build enduring partnerships
that foster regional security and promote peace, stability, and prosperity in the Caribbean, Central, and South American regions.
According to Admiral Mike Gilday, the Chief of Naval Operations, the focus of today’s Navy is squarely on warfighting, warfighters and the capabilities needed for the Navy of the future.
“I am confident we will maximize the Navy we have today while delivering the Navy that our nation will rely upon tomorrow,” said Gilday. “And we will do so with urgency. Our fleet will be a potent, formidable force that competes around the world every day, deterring those who would challenge us while reassuring our allies and partners.”
Though there are many opportunities for sailors to earn recognition in their command, community and career, Robinson is most proud of accomplishing a seven-month deployment, in 2016, aboard the USS Roosevelt (DDG-80).
“That deployment tested my skills not only as an IT, but as a true sailor," said Robinson. "We faced many challenges that tested everything I had learned from my time in recruit training through “A” school, and pushed me to retain and apply valuable knowledge quickly."
Laurin Robinson photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Anna-Liesa Hussey
from generations and one she hopes to continue.
“My grandfather served as a cook in World War II and he stayed in the Navy for 28 years,” said Robinson. “I love that I am able to carry on his legacy.”
As a member of the U.S. Navy, Robinson, as well as other sailors, know they are a part of a service tradition providing unforgettable experiences through leadership development, world affairs and humanitarian assistance. Their efforts will have a lasting effect around the globe and for generations of sailors who will follow.
“To me, serving in the Navy means selflessness, adapting constantly to changing scenarios, and sacrifice,” said Robinson
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