Military and Veterans Success Center opens at USF Sarasota-Manatee

USF Sarasota-Manatee has dedicated its new Military and Veterans Success Center, envisioned as a place to host programs for veterans, and a space where veterans can study, meet and get answers about their benefits.

The center, at 8350 N. Tamiami Trail, will help veterans transition from active duty to campus, and eventually their new careers, Regional Chancellor Sandra Stone said Monday.

Made possible by an anonymous $50,000 gift that was used to convert a little-used computer lab, “the center will make our campus even more veteran friendly,” Stone said. Construction started on the center in December.

Larry Braue, director of Veterans Services at USF, called the dedication of the new center “a tremendous event and a proud day for this campus,” and noted that USF is acknowledged as one of the most veteran-friendly universities in the United States.

Braue departed from his prepared remarks to say that the military, naval and air service of veterans has helped ensure Americans the right to pursue the academic choices, freedom of worship and other freedoms that are often taken for granted.

“Right now there is someone in a nasty place putting their life on the line for us. These are the men and women who do that,” Braue, a retired Army lieutenant colonel, said of the veterans who attended Monday’s dedication. “They deserve this. Everything we do for them, they deserve.”

Dennis Stover, regional vice chancellor for university advancement, praised veterans, about 180 of whom are enrolled at USF Sarasota-Manatee: “Your service humbles us every day,” he said.

Jim McSorley, a Vietnam War veteran who served with the 173rd Airborne Brigade from 1967 to 1968, said the center is a place where the men and women returning from wars in Afghanistan and Iraq can feel at home and get on with their education.

“It’s about time,” McSorley added.

Chuck Wasson, who served with the Air Force in Phan Rang and Nha Trang, went to college on the GI Bill after the Vietnam War.

“Generally, veterans are a little older than your average student,” Wasson said, applauding the creation of a dedicated space for veterans.

Brian Ross, a Vietnam veteran who commands Alpha Company of the Vietnam Brotherhood, also welcomed the opening of the new center.

“It is really nice and a good place for them to study,” Ross said.

Carlos Moreira, president of the USFSM Student Veteran Society, said the center can become a resource for service providers, including Veterans Affairs, CareerSource Suncoast and others, not only for student veterans but for other veterans in the community.

Todd Hughes, an Army veteran who served a tour of duty in Iraq, is the USFSM Veterans Services administrator. He moved his office into the Military and Veterans Success Center about a month ago.

“This center will have a significant impact on these students and their success,” Hughes said.

This story was originally published May 23, 2016 at 4:54 PM with the headline "Military and Veterans Success Center opens at USF Sarasota-Manatee."