Members of S.E.E.4Vets and Coconino Community College cut the ribbon on the newly remodeled Veterans Center on Sept. 8
FLAGSTAFF — Coconino Community College veterans will be receiving additional tutoring and financial services as a result of a $10,000 grant from a nonprofit organization that serves veterans.
The grant was made possible through Support Education and Employment for Vets (S.E.E.4Vets), an organization that collaborates with colleges in Arizona to help keep veterans motivated to earn a degree. With this grant, tutors at CCC will assist the veterans with any additional school help needed. The intent is to bring the tutoring services to the veterans in the newly remodeled Veterans Center. Additionally, about $4,000 of the funds have been set aside to offer assistance to veterans to pay fees associated with their education they might not otherwise be able to afford.
S.E.E.4Vets and CCC had already established a relationship with a donation of $10,000 last year to give the Veterans Center a facelift. By creating a new space, CCC has given veterans the opportunity to gather, socialize, work on assignments and have a pleasant surrounding environment to mingle — all of which encourages veterans to continue their academic careers. The grand opening and ribbon cutting were on Sept. 8.
“S.E.E4Vets is a fairly new organization, and they’re formed just to benefit veterans,” said Scott Talboom, Executive Director of CCC’s Office of Institutional Advancement. “The main focus is on education. It’s really a way for veterans to help themselves. The Veterans Center used to be an employee breakroom, and the College’s leadership team felt like the vets really needed their own space.”
Bob Voytek, Director of Financial Aid and Veteran Services at CCC, said that the College’s services for veterans were limited until about four years ago when CCC decided to dedicate a space for them at the College’s Lone Tree campus.
“We actually serve about 150 veterans per year, and we decided to open up a whole area for them to have the services they need,” Voytek said. “S.E.E.4Vets provided us with furniture, computers, work stations and other equipment.”
Now, tutors and additional financial assistance are on the way.
For more information about Coconino Community College, please visit our website at www.coconino.edu.
About Coconino Community College: Student success is the heart and purpose of Coconino Community College. CCC provides affordable tuition and a wide variety of certificates and degrees including career/technical programs with more than 50 certificate programs and two-year associate degrees in various fields including nursing, fire science, law enforcement and business. The award-winning CCC2NAU program provides an innovative way to smooth a student’s path toward a bachelor’s degree at Northern Arizona University with tailored advisement and institutional collaboration, including access to amenities at NAU.
Since 1991, CCC has served residents across 18,000 square miles of Coconino County. CCC has helped create the region’s skilled workforce, which is improving overall health, safety and the economy in the region. Today, CCC serves more than 7,500 students per year with two campuses in Flagstaff.
CCC reaches out to the more rural portions of the County including Williams, the Grand Canyon/Tusayan, Page/Lake Powell, Fredonia, Tuba City and other remote areas on the Navajo, Hopi and Supai Tribal Lands. Instructional sites offer classes through online, in-person and Interactive Television classes to meet the needs of students in these rural and remote areas. Nearly 20 percent of CCC’s students are Native American learners.