The Nicholls State University Office of Veterans Services has been recognized as a 2014 Military-Friendly School by Victoria Media.
After years of research and a survey conducted with over 12,000 schools, Nicholls received this distinction of “military-friendly” school by Victoria Media and is now rated in the top 15 percent of schools nationwide.
Victoria Media is a veteran-owned business that compiles two notable publications such as G.I. Jobs and the Guide to Military Friendly Schools.
The Director of Veterans Services, Gilberto Burbante, is the sole employee of this branch where he was hired a year ago. According to Burbante, a Marine who spent three tours in the Middle East, this is the fifth year in a row that Nicholls has been recognized as a military-friendly school.
“We are repeatedly recognized because of the programs that we offer, and the way we address issues that relate to the veteran base here on campus,” Burbante said. “The programs we have here are geared to ensure their success.”
Normally, these students initially use Veterans Services to clear up any financial concerns so that their education is paid for through their past dedication of military service.
“The first thing I do is make sure these veterans rake academic benefits, which means they get the funds they deserve, such as the G.I. Bill and the associated benefits,” Burbante said. “The Director of Enrollment Services, Courtney Cassard, and I then work to schedule their classes. We try to gauge their expectations of not only school, but also their future in the workforce. I try to alleviate a lot of the stress of paperwork off their shoulders and put it onto my plate.”
Before Burbante came into this position, Veterans Services was in existence, but lacked a sincere connection with its members. Its primary job was to align the student with their funds to pay for school, to help them in a positive way in a personal manner.
“There was someone who got students the G.I. Bill, but then Nicholls noticed the need to implement a system that gives them a hands-on assistance,” Burbante said.
Already in Burbante’s short time in office, he has assisted 257 students who had concerns about their ability to receive higher education.
“Students are normally referred to me when enrollment services find out that a student qualifies for the G.I. Bill,” Burbante said. “At that point, I inform the students about all that Veterans Services offer in regard to tools that help them academically and emotionally. We also have an outside organization where we do not hold hands and sing kumbaya, but we do share our combat or personal experiences.”
Although his job is to facilitate a welcoming environment for the veterans on this campus, Burbante’s day-to-day activities vary. This keeps him engaged and focused on his work.
“This job brings upon situations where you have to shoot from the hip,” Burbante said. “I never have the same schedule every day. There are only two certainties: that I will get more veterans and that I need to make sure they got their G.I. Bill.”
Affiliation with veterans services allows its members to register first for classes before all other students. This has proved to be very valuable considering a large amount of veterans are majoring in petroleum services, a major where classes are filled very quickly. This priority is essential because these veterans, on account of the G.I. Bill and funds associated with it, usually have three years to complete their course work.
“A lot of times the veterans do not know where to go with questions regarding financial aid, tutoring and other areas of concern,” Burbante said. “When they come to me for help, I become the middle man that gets all the information they need. Sometimes I come across veterans who can be considered aggressive, and I serve as a buffer for them. My goal is to get them into a position where they can become successful in life. Their time at Nicholls almost becomes another boot camp, preparing them for the real world.”
In order to better prepare the Nicholls community for veterans and associated issues, Burbante hosted a series of sessions last month entitled “A New Generation of Student Veterans.” There, he addressed teachers, faculty, and university employees on how to deal with student-veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.
Krystle Cato, history senior from Bainbridge, Ga., transferred from another school and was amazed by the ease and efficiency of her enrollment at Nicholls due to the work of veterans services.
“I transferred from another school where I had a different coordinator for a similar program,” Cato said. “Coming here was a big change because once I was admitted, I was sent to veterans services and spoke with Gilberto exclusively rather than going through other departments. I was not treated like this at my old school. I showed up and everything was already done, including my financial situation.”
Aside from the tangible side of assistance, Cato has enjoyed the hospitable environment that veterans services maintains.
“They offer functions and other get-togethers that forge a sense of camaraderie,” Cato said. “If it weren’t for this group, I would be that little ghost who goes to class and then leaves. Knowing that I have support behind me makes it so much easier to assimilate to this university.”
Being the sole employee of Veterans Services, Burbante has found fulfillment in his job. “This is not the job that I anticipated ever having because I was accepted by the FBI. But due to budget issues, my position was closed,” Burbante said. “In the meantime, I applied for this job. Now, I see myself working with veterans for the rest of my life. I enjoy it because those men and women are in the shoes I was walking in a few years ago.”