When Steven Stenersen arrived at Santiago Canyon College in early 2015, he had just completed nine years of service with the Marine Corps and was looking for a fresh start on a new career path.
He chose SCC for its location, tucked away in the hills, away from the hustle and bustle of Orange County. After deciding to becoming a history professor, Stenersen began to unravel the often complicated and confusing journey of veterans’ benefits.
Stenersen hit several roadblocks in that journey. In search of help, he found himself at SCC’s Veterans Resource Center, where staff and peers provide veterans, active duty, reservists and their dependents and spouses assistance in navigating and accessing their VA education benefits. Not only did he find help for himself, but he quickly became a go-to in providing help to others who experienced similar struggles.
“My first semester, I was very standoffish, and I didn’t want to be around anybody,” Stenersen said. “But by going (to the VRC), I kind of got a little acclimated and adjusted. … And that got me engaged with the office. Then I started the Veterans Club (Student Veterans of America – SVA) here on campus to help not only myself but other vets get acclimated to transitioning out of the military.”
During his time at SCC, Stenersen continued to get more involved in serving his veteran peers through SVA and VRC and found an inclusive space and a strong community of support as he pursued his education goals.
“At SCC, I was a person,” Stenersen said. “It didn’t matter if it was a dean, a manager or even the president, for example. He knew who I was, and he knew my story because he had engaged with me. It was very welcoming and very much like a family.”
After graduating from SCC in 2017 with three associate degrees, Stenersen transferred to Cal State Long Beach where he earned a bachelor’s degree in history with a focus on Latin America. During a visit back at SCC, he was offered a work-study…
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