The JMG Charitable Giving Fund was recently established because of a significant and anonymous contribution of $150,000 to the Chez Veterans Center (CVC). This generous gift will allow us to develop and maintain emerging programs dedicated to aiding veteran and military-connected students. Gifts such as these are critical to the success of the Chez Veterans Center and for fulfilling our purpose, but more importantly, they are crucial for the success of the veteran and military-connected to achieve their goals. Without donors who establish funds like the JMG Charitable Giving Fund, we would be ..read more

Two former University of Illinois graduate students, PSYONIC CEO Aadeel Akhtar and retired Army Sgt. Garrett Anderson, were featured on ‘Shark Tank’, following a successful crowdfunding campaign surpassing $1 million. Akhtar’s lifelong dream of building bionic limbs led to the creation of PSYONIC in 2015, with Anderson, who lost his right forearm in Iraq, becoming an early user and collaborator. PSYONIC’s innovative Ability Hand offers 32 grips, touch feedback, durability, and plans for direct integration with users’ nerves for individual finger control. Read more about this at one of these fe ..read more

A Bachelor of Social Work intern working with Ingrid Wheeler, overseeing Behavioral Health Services at the Chez Veterans Center, collaborated with fellow Army Dependent, Ailayna Gaffney from the University Primary School. Together, they coordinated the Center’s first field trip for second and third-grade students from the primary school to the Chez Veterans Center. Coming from a military family with a deep-rooted understanding of the military lifestyle, they both acknowledged their experience held personal significance for them. Growing up on military installations shaped their identity, and m ..read more

Chez Veterans Center’s Director, Andrew Bender, spoke with Jeff Snyder from BRNAM Broadcast Retirement Network about going to college as a Military Veteran. Watch the interview by clicking here. The post Tips for Going to College as a Military Veteran appeared first on Chez Center ..read more

The Chez Veterans Center serves as leaders in supporting our military-connected through higher education. While our building not only exceeds ADA standards, we also support potential and current students with researching military-friendly colleges, engaging in campus life for better integration, utilizing military benefits, and converting military experience into college credits. Read the full article by clicking U.S. News. The post Tips for Going to College as a Military Veteran appeared first on Chez Center ..read more

Our students come from an array of backgrounds and experiences. We strive to offer placements that can offer unique experiences and knowledge for students interested in learning about the military-connected populations. Tera Sparks completed her internship this Fall, supporting programs and services including our Veterans Day Event and our Food Pantry Initiative. We asked Tera to share more about her experience. Tera writes: Hi my name is Tera Sparks and I was an intern at the Chez Veteran Center during the fall semester of 2023. I am a senior majoring in Interdisciplinary Health Sciences and ..read more

Dr. Brent Blackwell’s remarkable journey encompasses a transition from a frugal upbringing outside Chicago to esteemed accomplishments in the medical field. Joining the military at 17 year old, he sought direction and challenge, eventually serving as an Army Ranger combat medic in Afghanistan. His experiences there ignited a passion for medicine, leading him to the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, where he excelled as a Kinesiology and Community Health student and recognized as a James Scholar. Driven by his dedication to service, Blackwell le ..read more

The Chez Veterans Center regularly hosts interns from different programs across the college. During the Fall, we hosted Cristian Pulgarin for his placement as he worked to support our mission. We asked Cristian to share about himself, his experience as an intern at the CVC, and his professional goals. Cristian writes: My name is Cristian Pulgarin, and I am a second-year graduate student pursuing my Master of Public Health degree in Epidemiology at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). Before entering graduate studies, I earned a bachelor’s degree in public health, and I am pr ..read more

After the success of last summer’s 2nd cohort of the Warrior-Scholar Project (WSP), featured on WCIA News, we are thrilled to be hosting our third cohort. This summer will be a one week  STEM academic boot camp from July 18thru July 27 at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. During this academic boot camp, enlisted service members and recently transitioning Veterans will be able to revisit college-level reading, writing, math, and physics while they live on our campus and learn from UIUC faculty. In addition, the cohort will visit various research labs around campus and work on th ..read more

The Chez Veterans Center hosted a poignant exhibit, shedding light on the often-overlooked struggles of military veterans coping with PTSD, showcasing the diversity of their trauma experiences. Presented by the RUSH Road Home Program, this display challenges misconceptions surrounding military trauma, highlighting its varied impact across different roles and branches. Read more about the exhibit in these two articles: Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette: New Exhibit Unmasks Vets’ Inner Struggle The Daily Illini: Mask exhibition showcases veterans’ inner battles at Chez Veterans Center The post Mask ..read more