Jax State Secures $250,000 Grant to Launch Groundbreaking Victory Center for Military Community Support

04/27/2024

Jax State has been awarded a $250,000 grant from the Alabama Board of Veterans Affairs. The grant will fund the Victory Center, which Dr. Marie Valentin, the lead on authoring the grant proposal, described as a "two-fold initiative that will serve the total military community. "The center will improve participants' overall mental health, support a smooth transition into civilian life, and help families flourish,” stated Dr. Valentin.

In addition to working with military members and their families, the center will provide internship opportunities for students pursuing bachelor's or master's degrees in social work or clinical mental health counseling. The recently established Military Friendly Campus Committee drove the pursuit of grants like the one funding the Victory Center. "It's like the name says," explains Dr. Justin Parker, Director of Jax State's Military and Post Traditional Student Services and committee member, “We're focused on making the Jax State campus more military-friendly. That includes looking at grant opportunities to bring in some support initiatives Jax State didn't have."

The first grant was the $10,500 grant awarded by the Alabama Military Stability Foundation, a state commission that supports the military community. The grant allowed members of the Jax State Military Friendly Campus Committee, including Justin Parker, Emily White who serves as the Co-PI for the grant, and Ashley Hanvey, in conjunction with the Prior Learning Assessment Committee (PLAC), to attend the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) Annual Conference in Columbus, Ohio, earlier this month. Among the topics, committee members explored the expansion of prior learning assessments and credentials for military-connected students. The committee's efforts are already paying off. Jax State has been named a Military Friendly School by Militaryfriendly.com for creating sustainable and meaningful education paths for the military community.

According to the site's profile, "Jax State has a very supportive community both on and off campus for current service members and student veterans … “We have the support programming and experience to ensure the personal, academic, and professional success of all current and former service members," said Dr. Parker. “All such accolades help raise the profile of Jax State for potential students with military ties. It's a good way to get Jax State's name out there, to kind of guide their decision, knowing that we look after our military students. It's all about making the best, most informed decision."

Within the 15-county service population that Jax State covers, there are more than 53,000 veterans, according to the Veteran's Administration website. Those are the people whom the Victory Center and, by extension, the Military Friendly Committee wants to help. "It's easily more than three or four times that if you include family members," Dr. Valentin said. "With our Victory Center, we're looking at positively impacting the lives of thousands of military personnel and their families. We envision this lasting for more than a year, which is what the funding is set for now.”

"We want this to be part of Jax State's legacy to the area," stated Dr. Valentin. The Victory Center is expected to start accepting clients in early June. A final decision about its location has yet to be made, though Dr. Valentin hopes it will be housed in the McClellan Center.