The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Campus honored for its veterans services
Lake Erie College in Painesville received the Military Friendly Gold Award due to its veteranrelated services for the 2020-21 school year.
Military Friendly awards are bestowed by a company of the same name and are intended to honor recipients for their continued efforts in making life easier for those who have served in the U.S. armed forces.
Instrumental in LEC’s recognition was the campus’ Veteran Education and Transition Support, or VETS. The focus of this program is to aid the registration, advising, retention and subsequent graduation of student-veterans and to ease their transition into civilian life.
Among the services that the VETS program offers are academic support, benefit and educational counseling, and program referrals based on individualized consultations.
Additionally, student-veterans are able to find support through one another at locations like the college’s “bunker” which is part of a suite of spaces intended for student-veterans to commiserate with one another, furthering supportive peer bonds.
“One of the most amazing aspects of working with the Lake Erie College faculty and staff is how open and receptive they are to help and work with current veterans,” said college Veterans Program Director Margie Payerle.
“They are all welcoming and open to make it work” Student-veteran and 2018 LEC graduate Joshua Miller stated in a related news release, “Having Dr. Payerle there to assist, not only with any problematic issues, but also as a guide in regards to navigating the various administrative processes regarding higher education, was pivotal to the successful completion of my studies.
“Also, having access to an area where I could interact with other veterans was very nice,” Miller added.
“There are simply some aspects of service and the experiences that we’ve had that only other veterans can understand, and to have a place where we could go to be amongst our own was quite nice.
“The way things are done in the civilian world, in particular the academic environment, will often vary greatly from that of the military.
“Adaptability to this different environment is key to success.”
LEC’s Military Friendly Gold Award makes them one of 625 across the country honored.
The college also received an additional Gold Award from Military Friendly for their collegiate ranking within the private, no doctorate category.
This recognition is determined by programs which score within 20 percent of the 10th-ranked institution within the category.
This marks the second year in a row that LEC has earned this honor.
Military Friendly is not a branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, nor is it related to the Department of Defense.
The Military Friendly Company is owned by Viqtory which describes itself as a “service-disabled, veteran-owned small business” which advocates for veteran services and support.