Sun Devil Vets for Life

Every day, Sal L. strives to alleviate many of the challenges experienced by the military community. As a defense legislative correspondent for the U.S. Senate, Sal addresses veterans affairs, foreign policy and military intelligence. Sal attributes much of his success and ability to give back to the military community to the mentorship and support he received from the Pat Tillman Veterans Center during his time at ASU.

Sal joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 2015. Just one year later, he decided to begin his higher education at ASU, starting with a BA in political science and government. This would be the first of several degrees for Sal.

When he was a full-time student, Sal also served in the Marine Corps Reserves, which required him to travel to Southern California once a month for drill weekends. A key struggle for Sal during this time was balancing classes and schoolwork with his military obligations, but with the assistance of the PTVC, he was able to get the accommodations necessary to successfully fulfill both of these responsibilities.

Sal said that whenever he had a conflict between going to drill and attending to his education, PTVC was there to advocate for him.

“The PTVC was one of the first voices I talked to coming into ASU,” Sal said. “They helped me get situated into the academic environment, and they really helped me hone both my maturity and social skills.”

Without the assistance and guidance of mentors he met through the veterans center, Sal is certain that he would not be where he is today. He advises anyone in a similar position to seek out the help of mentors, noting that for military-affiliated students, there is no better place to find them than PTVC.

“Michelle, Shawn — without their leadership and wisdom, I definitely wouldn’t be in the position I am now. They continue to give me the motivation to strive for better and to be the change I want to see.”

Sal explained that because of the mentorship he received, he continues looking for ways to positively impact the next generation. As a member of the Veterans Scholar Program, he had the opportunity to attend seminars that emphasized military-inspired lessons about leadership, and he was introduced to the ways in which these lessons are applicable to everyday life.

Sal shared that through the Veterans Scholar Program, he learned about the concept of “finding your why” — which he not only still applies to his daily life, but also strives to pass down.

“The lessons I learned, like how to find my ‘why’ — that’s what I teach my interns now,” Sal said.

As an emergency management coordinator for Maricopa County and a medical technician in the Air Force, Marisa V. has always dedicated her time toward ensuring safety and well-being in her local communities. In 2016, Marisa decided to pursue a higher education at ASU, where she earned her degree in public service and public policy. She participated in both the Pat Tillman Veterans Center work-study program and the Veterans Scholar Program, to which she credits much of her professional development.

Marisa said that the Veterans Scholar Program offered her various types of assistance in transitioning from the military to a civilian career. Certain lessons regarding recruitment, professionalism, and both hard and soft skills, Marisa explained, were useful factors in getting her to where she is now.

“We would get together throughout the semester to look over our resumes (and) translate our military service to a language that makes sense for a civilian resume. A lot of us veterans have already done things and have had training in a professional environment. The thing that we struggle with is translating it from military jargon and language to how it’s applicable to our hopefully future civilian careers.”

Soon after enrolling at ASU, Marisa went to PTVC to inquire about part-time employment that would provide flexibility and enable her to prioritize her degree. Soon after she reached out to the veterans center, a position on the Student Outreach Team was created, and Marisa had the opportunity to work in a flexible and rewarding position while working toward her degree.

“It was the community at the PTVC that helped me. The benefit (I got) out of that was meeting other student veterans and having that community again of people who understand. … You’re able to connect with them on that deeper level of understanding. … To this day, there’s no greater feeling than being able to help another veteran out.”

Marisa said her favorite PTVC event every semester was the Veterans Honor Stole Ceremony.

“Just seeing all of them come and be recognized in a room together after getting their degrees — to me, that was huge.”

As a longtime sports lover, Chris C. is able to do what he loves every day by representing the Kalamazoo Wings as their director of public relations and broadcasting.

Chris enrolled at ASU in 2015 after serving in the Marine Corps for seven years. After consulting representatives at the Pat Tillman Veterans Center for career and professional guidance, he was pointed in the direction of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, where he quickly seized every opportunity available to him and later became Cronkite’s Undergraduate of the Year.

Chris said that with the assistance and support provided by PTVC, he was able to network with other veterans, and even work toward optimizing the veteran experience at ASU for future veteran students.

“There were many times while I was there when I knew I was exactly where I needed to be,” Chris said. “Anything I can do to be part of that process for future veterans, I’m there.”

Like many other veterans and military personnel across the nation, Chris has experienced mental health struggles throughout his time both in and out of service. He believes that the treatment of these issues needs to be a priority in the community and that PTVC provides many of these resources to support any veteran or military member who may be struggling.

“I think the PTVC does a great job of providing assets toward a holistic approach — whether that’s getting access to a disability resource center, or extra time on tests because of test anxiety … or these other things that come into play.”

After finishing his sports journalism degree at ASU in just two years, and going on to receive an MS in journalism from Northwestern University, Chris moved back to Michigan with his family. During hockey season, he spends his days broadcasting, sometimes with his 3-year-old on his lap. He has achieved his longtime dreams, and he continues to keep in touch with some of the mentors he met through PTVC.

“Getting to do what you love also comes with sacrifice,” Chris said. “One piece of advice I’d give to anyone in the position I was in is to keep ascending to whatever it is you want to do with the rest of your life.”

“(PTVC) really helped me in getting out of that disgruntled veteran phase and moving into an execution phase. I utilize that every day at my job now.”