Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Athena Barber | Gil Williams, program and area coordinator for Navy College out of Naval Base Kitsap...... read more read more
About 125 veterans, students, faculty, and guests attended The Tribute to Veterans & Active-Duty Military May 11 at Olympic College’s Bremer Student Center.
Capt. Tom Zwolfer, Naval Base Kitsap (NBK) commanding officer, was one of the guest speakers who emphasized continuous education for service members to expand their skill sets beyond military training.
“Education is important,” he said. “The military supports uniformed personnel in furthering their education through various training opportunities and ways to earn college degrees.”
Dr. David Mitchell, Olympic College (O.C.) president, highlighted the bond between the school and its veteran student body, which resonates on a national scale.
“(We) continue to be recognized as one of the most military-friendly colleges in the nation,” he said. “Twenty percent of O.C.’s student population are veterans, active-duty, or military dependents.”
Craig Seybold, Olympic College electronics discipline faculty lead said half of the students in his program are veterans and active-duty military. “They’re learning specialties, which transfer to civilian work.”
Zwolfer stressed why current military members should take advantage of veteran-supported training opportunities.
“It’s no secret: most jobs are becoming more and more specialized,” he said. “It’s critical to have programs like what Olympic College offers right here in Kitsap and Mason counties. They’ve expanded their programs over the years to meet the challenging needs of their students and the job market.”
There’s always room for fine tuning, according to Mitchell.
The school recently earned a major federal grant to increase retention and graduation rates of veterans, which is the already highest in the nation, he said. It also has the second-highest veteran population in Washington State.
At the conclusion of his speech, Zwolfer noted that seeking to learn is a win-win scenario.
“I firmly believe education never hurt anyone. In fact, the more you know, the more you open your mind to new experiences … new opportunities … new adventures.”
| Date Taken: | 05.11.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 05.23.2016 15:47 |
| Story ID: | 198777 |
| Location: | BREMERTON, WA, US |
| Hometown: | BANGOR, WA, US |
| Hometown: | BELLINGHAM, WA, US |
| Hometown: | BREMERTON, WA, US |
| Hometown: | EVERETT, WA, US |
| Hometown: | OLYMPIA, WA, US |
| Hometown: | PORT ANGELES, WA, US |
| Hometown: | PORTLAND, OR, US |
| Hometown: | POULSBO, WA, US |
| Hometown: | SEATTLE, WA, US |
| Hometown: | SILVERDALE, WA, US |
| Hometown: | TACOMA, WA, US |
| Hometown: | WHIDBEY ISLAND, WA, US |
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This work, Olympic College Pays Tribute to Service Members, Veterans, by Jake Chappelle, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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