Tyler Junior College veterans are well cared for here on campus. TJC Veteran Affairs is equipped with a knowledgeable, passionate, and dedicated staff that makes going to school easier for service members. Whether it is getting signed up for class, applying for scholarships, or navigating paperwork, they are here to serve students.
Rachel Foster, director of the TJC VA, and Keren Longshore, assistant director of the TJC VA, are the tag team that gets things accomplished. Foster served in the military and is passionate about giving back to fellow service members. As soon as the Veterans Benefits Specialist position became available, she seized the opportunity and applied immediately. It has been two years since her start, and her fire for helping has not wavered. Foster educates students on the education benefits the VA provides, many of the benefits include paying for tuition and fees. “My job is just to make sure that process goes as smoothly as possible. So, they can focus on school and not have to worry about finances in the day to day with that.” Foster said. “Going back to school can be troublesome for many veterans, “A lot of them are coming to college, they have kids, they have to have a full-time job. And I think it’s important that they have somebody who’s here and willing to listen to them and understands what they’re going through. So, they don’t feel so alone.” F0ster said.
Longshore has been at TJC for over five years and her eagerness to help others is what motivates her. One of her main goals is to be proactive with students and tell them they are available to help, even if they do not want to use their VA benefits right now. “Truthfully, an added bonus is that we’re offering an opportunity for students to further their education that may not have had the monetary ability to do that, [they] make too much for FASFA, don’t make enough to actually attend school here, so this is kind of bridging the gap for that student population” Longshore said.
Foster and Longshore also connect students with local veteran organizations such as Camp V, and the Smith County Veteran Services Office. These organizations provide additional resources and partnerships outside of TJC, such as mental health services and sponsored meals.
During the class registration season, the TJC VA office is in high gear. Foster and Longshore meet face-to-face with students, answer their phone calls and texts, and set up student meetings with academic advisers. They find out what paperwork students need to submit, and assist with that paperwork, however long it takes. While stacks of paperwork, and customary daily routines can be mundane, the two always take time to build real connections and give their most. The best compliment they receive is when new transfer students tell them, “You guys are so much better!”
The TJC Veterans Affairs office is on the 2nd floor of the Rogers Student Center. You can find out more by visiting tjc.edu/veterans.