Community to host Memorial Day event at KCC

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The sign at the front of KCC’s North Avenue campus.

In honor of the men and women who have died while serving in the United States armed forces, community members and college students will host a Memorial Day ceremony at Kellogg Community College’s North Avenue campus in Battle Creek at 11 a.m. May 27, 2013.

The hour-long ceremony, to be held near the flag pole in the center of campus, will be open to the public and feature a variety of speakers, musical performances and presentations.

Speakers will include retired U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Robert Secrist of Galesburg and veteran Gig Wagner with the Michigan Patriot Guard, a nonprofit organization that assists military members and veterans and their families.

Musical performers will include the Cereal City Concert Band, Lakeview High School Band, Kalamazoo Pipe Band, Mall City Harmonizers and retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Nicholas Batch.

Also expected to attend are Duane Dewey, a former U.S. Marine who received the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Korean War, members of several “Gold Star” families in the area and some of the estimated 200 military veterans who currently attend KCC.

Attendees are encouraged to park in Lot H, accessed directly from North Avenue and Roosevelt Avenue, and bring their own blankets or chairs for the event. A reception with light refreshments will follow the ceremony in KCC’s Student Center. In the event of inclement weather, the event will be held inside the Binda Theatre.

For more news about Kellogg Community College, view our latest press releases online at www.kellogg.edu/daily/category/press-releases.

KCC to honor veterans with Veterans Day Celebration Nov. 12

Kellogg Community College will honor veterans of the U.S. military during a Veterans Day Celebration event beginning at noon on Monday, Nov. 12, in the courtyard between the Roll and Severin buildings in the lobby of the Mawby Center (Miller College) on KCC’s North Avenue campus, 450 North Ave.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will include a Veterans Day address from KCC President Dr. Dennis Bona, a color guard performance, music including a soloist and trumpeter performing “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “God Bless the USA,” a reading of “A Soldier’s Prayer,” refreshments and more.

Laura Miller, a financial aid specialist at KCC and a member of the Campus Veterans Committee, which is sponsoring the event with the student-led Healthy Choices Leadership Organization (HCLO), said the event is meant to recognize the many sacrifices veterans have made through their service.

“It is because of them that we are allowed the many freedoms that we have in this great country,” Miller said.

The first Veterans Day Celebration at KCC was held last year and organizers said they hope it will become an annual event at the College, which currently serves approximately 150 veterans who use military benefits to attend classes.

Tammie Phillips, president of the HCLO, counts veterans among her family members, including a sister currently serving in Afghanistan with the U.S. Army. Phillips said it’s important to take the time in an event like this to give thanks to those who have served our country.

“It’s about celebrating their accomplishments, with the community wrapping around them to let them know that we care,” she said.

The Veterans Day Celebration is the culmination of veteran-centered events spearheaded by the HCLO this month on KCC’s North Avenue campus. Other events include a student letter-writing campaign to current military members on Nov. 6; a nonperishable items collection to benefit residents of Silver Star Apartments, a veterans housing facility in Battle Creek, also on Nov. 6; and a display of military- and veteran-specific books in the College’s Morris Learning Resource Center through Nov. 16.

For more information about any of these events, contact Kellogg Community College Counselor and Campus Veterans Committee member T.J. Mohl at 269-965-3931 ext. 2647 or at mohlt@kellogg.edu.

KCC among first colleges in state to host VetSuccess program

Kellogg Community College will be among the first colleges in the state to host the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs VetSuccess on Campus program, beginning this fall.

The VetSuccess program – which will be hosted jointly in Southwest Michigan by Kellogg Community College, Kalamazoo Valley Community College and Western Michigan University – is designed to assist veterans as they transition from the military to civilian life.

As part of the program, the three institutions will share the services of VetSuccess on Campus Counselor Brent Haddow, who will be available five days per week to answer veterans’ questions on topics ranging from educational and medical benefits to employment, housing and even burial services.

Patrick Casey, director of Career and Employment Services at Kellogg Community College, said the program streamlines the support process for veterans on campus.

“When military servicemen and women exit the service, they go through exit counseling and basically everything is thrown at them at once,” Casey said. “But then there’s no one for them to go to for answers to questions like, how do I convert my military experience to civilian experience on a resume? How do I access these benefits? What benefits do I have access to?”

Casey said Haddow will likely be on Kellogg’s campus each Friday, in addition to another half day during the week, to answer such questions, in addition to queries related to things like housing loans, medical benefits, and more.

“The benefit to the college is that we now have someone on campus that has access to information that otherwise we as KCC staff wouldn’t have on site,” Casey said. “Now we have that referral point, someone in the flesh that can then sit down with the student and say exactly what their benefits mean.”

The official date for the start of the VetSuccess on Campus program has not been set, but Casey said the program should begin this fall. The program’s start comes on the heels of the college’s fourth consecutive designation as a Military Friendly School by G.I. Jobs magazine.

For more information about the VetSuccess on Campus program at Kellogg Community College, contact Patrick Casey, director of the college’s Career and Employment Services Department, at 269-965-3931 ext. 2636 or at caseyp@kellogg.edu.

In the photo above, Jazmine Gipson, left, signs up for the Army National Guard with help from Sgt. Zane Yandell during the Battle Creek Regional Job Fair held at KCC on Friday, March 16, 2012.

KCC named a Military Friendly School by G.I. Jobs magazine

Kellogg Community College is among the top 20 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools in the nation that are “doing the most to embrace America’s veterans,” according to the latest list of Military Friendly Schools issued by G.I. Jobs magazine.

This marks the fourth consecutive year Kellogg Community College has been included on the list of Military Friendly Schools, which this year includes more than 1,500 institutions.

“These schools offer military students the best services, programs, discounts, scholarships, clubs, networking and staff,” according to G.I. Jobs.

The list, available at www.militaryfriendlyschools.com, says Kellogg Community College is an excellent choice for military members because the college “offers small class sizes which ensures a smooth transition to higher education, is active in the Military Affairs Committee, recognizes military members at commencement, offers assistance with military benefits, and provides the educational resources and veterans services that promote, support and enhance veteran success.”

The college is also recognized on the list for offering veteran financial benefits, including military discounts, in-state tuition for nonresidents, credit for military service and training, and the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP); flexibility, including evening, weekend and online classes; and veteran support, including a veteran-specific website and no activation penalties for those called up for service.

John Di Pierro, director of Institutional Facilities and Public Safety at Kellogg Community College and secretary of the Battle Creek Area Chamber of Commerce’s Military Affairs Committee, said the designation shows the community how committed the college is to veterans and to encouraging them to continue their education.

“For veterans, both current and past, this is a place where they can come and get support,” Di Pierro said. “It’s a community that’s open to them to help them meet their educational needs.”

The 2012 Military Friendly Schools designation precedes the start of the college’s VetSuccess on Campus program, which will be hosted in conjunction with Kalamazoo Valley Community College and Western Michigan University beginning this fall to provide additional veteran support on each campus.

For information about veterans benefits at Kellogg Community College, visit www.kellogg.edu/financial/veterans.html.

Veteran Resources Fair underway at KCC in Battle Creek

The Veteran Resources Fair is underway in the Student Center on the Battle Creek campus of Kellogg Community College.

The event, which is presented by the Michigan Department of Military & Veterans Affairs and the Veterans Health Administration, will run until 4 p.m.

Veterans at the event can register for VA and State of Michigan veteran benefits related to education and training, free or low-cost healthcare, survivor and dependent benefits, home loans, and burial benefits.

The event will also offer veteran employment information including advice on career opportunities, tips on resume writing and job searching, access to MiTalent.org, and the opportunity to schedule one-on-one appointments for career counseling.

Click here for more information about the event from a previous KCC Daily blog post. For more information about veterans’ benefits at Kellogg Community College, visit www.kellogg.edu/financial/veterans.html.

In the photos above, various representatives prepare for participants at the beginning of the Veteran Resources Fair in Kellogg Community College’s Student Center this morning.

KCC to host Veteran Resources Fair on May 8 in Battle Creek

The Michigan Department of Military & Veterans Affairs and the Veterans Health Administration will present a Veteran Resources Fair from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Student Center on the Battle Creek campus of Kellogg Community College.

Veterans at the event can register for VA and State of Michigan veteran benefits related to education and training, free or low-cost healthcare, survivor and dependent benefits, home loans, and burial benefits.

The event will also offer veteran employment information including advice on career opportunities, tips on resume writing and job searching, access to MiTalent.org, and the opportunity to schedule one-on-one appointments for career counseling.

A news release from Michigan’s Workforce Development Agency highlighting the event calls it a unique, one-day resources fair for military veterans and their families.

“The Resources Fair offers veterans of all ages and branches of service the opportunity to meet one-on-one with federal, state, local and college representatives and learn about the various benefits they may be eligible to receive,” the release says.

No appointments are necessary to take advantages of the services offered at the event.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs also will have representatives on hand in their Mobile Vet Center, a traveling office designed to advise veterans in their communities and help them apply on site for various federal benefits and services available to veterans and their families.

According to the news release, “The Mobile Vet Center is equipped with confidential counseling space as well as a satellite and onboard generator, allowing Vet Center counselors to have real-time access to a veteran’s VA records on a secure system. The Center also is equipped with a video conferencing system that allows face-to-face visits between veterans and Veterans Affairs Medical Center health providers.”

For more information about the event, contact Vicki Levengood of the Workforce Development Agency based in Lansing at 517-241-7978.

For more information about veterans’ benefits at Kellogg Community College, visit www.kellogg.edu/financial/veterans.html.

Media inquiries should be directed to Vicki Levengood here at the Workforce Development Agency.

KCC in the news: April 11, 2012

Here are some of the latest mentions of Kellogg Community College in online media. To view the original posts, click through the links in the publications’ titles.

The biggest news related to the college in the past 24 hours was U.S. Rep. Fred Upton’s announcement of the new VetSuccess program for veterans to be hosted jointly in Southwest Michigan by Kellogg Community College, Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo Valley Community College. In addition to early coverage from the news section on WMU’s website yesterday, the announcement has been covered by area media including:

The video embedded above from the event was produced by WKZO.

The Battle Creek Enquirer also mentions Kellogg Community College’s baseball and softball teams online, noting the baseball team’s nine-game winning streak — which was broken yesterday when the team split a double header with Lake Michigan College — and the softball team, which the Enquirer says “finds itself in solid position in the MCCAA West Division.” The briefs about KCC’s teams are on page two of the article through the link.

For more news about Kellogg Community College, view our press releases online at kellogg.edu/news/press.html.

Photos from today’s VetSuccess announcement

The photos above were taken today on the campus of Western Michigan University, where U.S. Rep. Fred Upton announced the new VetSuccess program to be hosted by Kellogg Community College, WMU and Kalamazoo Valley Community College.

Featured in the photos, from left to right, are Kellogg Community College President Dennis Bona; a group shot of Bona, U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, WMU President John M. Dunn and KVCC President Marilyn J. Schlack; and Upton.

The photos were taken by Patrick Casey, director of Career and Employment Services at Kellogg Community College.

For more information about the VetSuccess program announcement, click here.

KCC to host VetSuccess program with WMU, KVCC

U.S. Rep. Fred Upton announced today that Kellogg Community College, along with Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo Valley Community College in Kalamazoo, will host a VetSuccess on Campus program. According to an article posted on WMU’s website highlighting Upton’s announcement, which was given on WMU’s campus this morning:

“The VetSuccess on Campus program, which was launched in mid-2009 as a pilot project, supplies campus sites with an experienced, full-time VA vocational counselor and a part-time outreach professional to assist eligible veterans and their families as they access transition-support services, educational benefits, vocational rehabilitation and employment services, disability compensation, life insurance, home loan guarantees, and job placement and health care benefits. Working with existing personnel who already focus on veteran services on the three campuses, the VetSuccess personnel will focus on enhancing service to veterans as they transition from combat to college life, something all three schools have already established as a priority.”

The WMU article also quotes Kellogg Community College President Dennis Bona commenting on the program:

“One of the goals of this program is to make it simple,” Bona says in the article. “The concept of ‘one stop’ for veterans will hopefully minimize the red tape and confusion for veterans and get them the services they seek without the normal hassle of government programs.”

Click here to read the full article on WMU’s website.

For more information about VetSuccess, visit www.vetsuccess.gov. For more information about veteran’s benefits at Kellogg Community College, visit www.kellogg.edu/financial/veterans.html.