CONTACTS:
• Wade Enos, 91³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø Veteran Corps Student Representative, 360-546-9309, wade.enos@email.wsu.edu
• Brenda Alling, Office of Marketing and Communications, 360-546-9601, brenda_alling@vancouver.wsu.edu
VANCOUVER, Wash. - VetCorps, a pilot program managed by the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs has established itself on the Washington State University Vancouver campus. The program was created in April 2009 to help veterans find work and take care of their families while making the often-difficult transition into civilian life.
"VetCorps goes beyond just supporting veterans in the classroom," said Wade Enos, 91³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø student representative to VetCorps. "We help them find the resources they need to stabilize their lives outside the classroom and focus on their education."
Enos retired from the Army in 2006 and started working as a driver for a local company immediately after. He began looking into attending 91³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø after congress passed the 911 GI Bill, which paid stipends for veterans going to school.
"Nobody helped me find work or apply for benefits when I got out of the Army," Enos said. "I want to help make things easier for future Veterans in the Vancouver area."
Enos wants to raise awareness among the student body and build relations with the administration at 91³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø. He hopes to organize a recognized student organization to get funding from the student senate and create a support network for veterans on campus.
"Right now this organization is in its infancy," Enos said. "I'm working to set standards and goals with our current members that will help VetCorps expand into the campus and surrounding community in the near future."
VetCorps has representatives at community colleges, universities and technical schools around the state. Enos says some campuses are more receptive to the program than others, but he is doing everything he can to make sure the 91³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø program is a success.
"If I didn't believe in the program, I wouldn't be here," Enos said. "We're helping guys who put their lives on the line so everybody else can go about their daily lives. It's the least that can be done to repay them."
Enos can be reached at 360-546-9309 or wade.enos@email.wsu.edu.
91³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø is celebrating 20 years of bringing quality education, research and service to the citizens of Southwest Washington. The campus is located at 14204 NE Salmon Creek Ave., east of the 134th Street exit from either I-5 or I-205, or via C-Tran bus service. 91³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø offers 16 bachelor's degrees, 10 master's degrees, one doctorate degree and more than 36 fields of study. Learn more at .
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