UM-Dearborn recognized as 'Military Friendly School'

But there was hardly any interaction between McGraw-Price and fellow veterans on campus.

That all changed after she helped establish the Student Veterans Association at University of Michigan-Dearborn. The Student Veterans Association serves as a network for student veterans, where they can receive assistance with securing veteran’s benefits and resources about PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) treatment.

“From that point on, that’s when we really started to rally the troops,” said McGraw-Price, who served two tours in the U.S. Army. “We were finding people in all kinds of diverse areas. And everyone was having the same problems. It was having that sense of camaraderie that helped us.”

The effort put forth by students, faculty and staff to embrace America’s military service members, veterans and spouses as students and ensure their success on campus helped distinguish UM-Dearborn as a “Military Friendly School.”

G.I. Jobs magazine included UM-Dearborn in its 2013 list of military-friendly schools, which honors the top 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools that embrace American veterans as students. G.I. Jobs compiled the list after polling thousands of schools nationwide to determine which institutions best led recruitment efforts of military and veteran students.

“The fact that University of Michigan-Dearborn was distinguished as a ‘Military-Friendly School’ shows our commitment to providing a supportive environment for military students here,” said Stanley Henderson, vice chancellor for enrollment management and student life. “The University plans to continue on with those efforts in the years ahead to ensure a great college experience for not just veterans, but all students.”

UM-Dearborn’s Veteran Success Team, which comprises staff from a variety of campus units, provides services to a diverse community of students. Whether students were recently released from active duty, currently on active duty, in the National Guard or Reserves or a spouse or dependent of a disabled veteran, the Veterans Success Team helps them transition and ultimately reach their academic goals.

“The focus of the Veterans Success Team is to be a visible resource and support network for our veteran students,” said UM-Dearborn veteran liaison Sharon Lobdell. “It can be difficult transitioning from military service to being a student, adjusting to college life at the same time. So the Veterans Success Team utilizes the diversity of its members and the connections they have across campus to make UM-Dearborn a truly ‘veteran friendly’ campus. We want all of our veteran students to know that we are proud of what they have done and we are honored to call them Wolves.”