By Devin Rank

Student veterans can face big challenges when they return to the classroom after their years in the military, often starting with the loss of social connections. 

At the University of Maryland, student-run organization TerpVets and  the college’s Veteran Student Life Office offer support, community and a safe space for U.S. military veterans. TerpVets is also open to students who have 100 hours or more of voluntary service to a U.S. military organization. 

Joseph Hartner, a 23-year-old information science major, has completed more than 60 credits at UMD so far. Hartner, the vice president and treasurer of TerpVets, served four years of active duty in the Marine Corps before starting at UMD in fall 2020. 

Hartner has had a positive experience as a veteran at UMD, he said. 

“It’s a strong community and we make sure to keep in contact with everyone,” Hartner said.

Hartner is a big fan of the online environment and said there is a Facebook group filled with veteran students at UMD that allows everyone to stay connected.

While serving in the Marine Corps Hartner said he became close with the people he lived with. In the military, it is easy to get close with those living in your buildings and units because you are constantly with them, he said.

For Hartner, one of the hardest parts of being a student veteran was realizing that outside of the military, that connection ceases. TerpVets helps people who may feel a deep level of social isolation after serving, he said. 

TerpVets is a huge group that likes to welcome everyone that has honorably served, but Hartner said he wishes that there was more recognition and support outside his community around topics such as the mental health of veterans.

Hartner also struggled with the fact that as a 23-year-old, he was taking college level courses with students that were a couple years younger than him. Many young adults do not have the same life experiences as him and other veterans, he said. Coming to school after serving showed the differences in maturity, he said.

“It’s a lifestyle change,” Hartner said. 

Nick Culwell, president of TerpVets said that this organization has acted as a safe haven for veterans at UMD. 

Culwell, a 25-year-old environmental science and technology major, served active duty in the Coast Guard for five years. He expects to graduate from UMD in the spring of 2023. 

Culwell only experienced a couple months of in-person learning at UMD due to COVID-19. 

Culwell’s time spent at UMD has been pleasant so far, he said. With veterans being older and having different experiences, it’s nice to have everyone together and to have built-in friends, he said 

Professors at UMD have been very accommodating to veterans, Culwell said. 

I have never run into an instance where they weren’t accommodating for myself and other people. I have only heard good things, I haven’t heard of anyone running into very many troubles,” Culwell said. 

Culwell said that many student veterans come into college at an older age, which can pose a maturity issue. But Culwell also said he felt that some of his classmates had been in school consistently for a longer amount of time.

At times, Culwell said he needed to take a step back because being out of school for five years showed him that many of his basic skills were lost. 

Another student veteran at UMD, 24-year-old Cody Schatz, works at the Veteran Student Life Office. Schatz served in the military for six years before starting at UMD last year as a letters and sciences major. 

Although it’s a different organization from TerpVets, the Veteran Student Life Office offers similar benefits to student veterans at UMD. The only difference is that the Veteran Student Life Office is not run by students, though students work in the office. 

This office offers a formal support structure to student veterans, Schatz said. For example, students have access to tutors and can come to the office with any concerns, whether that be school-related or something else, he said. 

Before coming to UMD, Schatz said he did not know how robust the veteran community was here. Schatz said that the veteran community is supported at UMD and that many people have a positive and friendly attitude toward veterans. 

Featured image: UMD student veterans from TerpVets came together to attend an axe throwing event in the spirit of friendly competition. Photo courtesy Joseph Hartner.