Durham Tech supports veterans of all branches, backgrounds
Helping veterans succeed at Durham Tech and in their future endeavors is the driving mission of the College’s Veterans Services office.
The department aims to go beyond simply navigating financial aid benefits packages with students.
"At Durham Tech, we are really making sure that we build a community of support for them," said Justin Gray, Veterans Services Specialist. "They've given a part of their life to serve our country, so I just feel that it's only best that they get the best, the best resources, the best opportunities, and the best support they can here."
Gray, who has family that has served in the military, said he finds his job incredibly rewarding.
"I have really enjoyed building a rapport with each student and helping them find ways to complete degrees and look at different programs and studies," he said.
Gray said he has noticed that a lot of students gravitate towards the Information Technology and Health Care programs with a strong majority also interested in areas like Public Safety.
"A lot of veterans are returning to civilian life and want to go back to school, maybe wanting to pick up on the career they had in the military," he said. "There's a lot who are just taking classes to go on to a higher university but getting their foundation here because, that way, they can get the most bang for their buck."
Veteran benefits can include coverage of tuition, books, and some housing. The benefits, Gray said, often help the students feel financially secure enough to return to school.
"With some veterans I've helped, they've been really grateful to the fact that this funding is here for me to get my life going and start rolling in civilian life and start working towards that career they’ve started and always have dreamed of," he said.
Post-9/11 veterans comprise majority of the College’s veteran student population. The Veteran Services office also assists those who are either dependents or spouses of veterans who are either disabled or deceased.
Antonio Bailey, a Coast Guard vet, started at Durham Tech last fall. Originally from Charlotte, he served in the military for six years before coming to Durham.
"This area is like the main hub of all the great schools in North Carolina," Bailey said.
He was stationed in Mississippi then New York, doing everything from working on a cutter to welding, firefighting, and plumbing. Before entering the service, he attended Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte but left before graduating. After his finishes his time at Durham Tech, Bailey wants to transfer to a four-year university and study law.
"I like Durham Tech. It's more on the quiet side, and 
you have more one-on-one with the teachers," he said.
Student Jessyca Davis was in the U.S. Navy for almost nine years and was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia, and Hawaii. She also came to Durham Tech last fall.
"I hadn't been in school since high school and wanted a smooth transfer into college life," she said. "Whenever I have a question or need help, the Veteran Services staff finds a way to get those answers for me."
Nadine Ford, Financial Aid and Veterans Services Director, said the Veteran Services office wants to broaden its scope.
"Right now, we are sort of just a certified office where we just certify the benefits, so they can have the money they need to go to school," she said. "We are looking to expand so that we offer more services."
Gray plans to create a digital, more efficient student database and to start a veterans club and an advisory committee with representatives from various Durham Tech departments.
Ford said the department would also like to undergo green zone training. The training would help its participants better assist the school’s veterans with any personal issues they might face as they readjust to civilian life.
"The theme of the program here at Durham Tech is basically a rebuild," Gray said. "It's not a start over, but it's just to rebuild and adjust to the new times and changes."
Gray has only officially held his current role for a few months. However, he gained experience working with veteran students by assisting Financial Aid Specialist Debbie Maloney before she retired in December.
"Justin knows exactly how to ask something, what to do, how to look it up, how to find the information," Bailey said. "He made the whole transition coming from the military life back to the civilian life and back to the school life very easy."
The Veterans Services Office is located on the second floor of the Phail Wynn, Jr. Student Services Center on Main Campus. For more information, call 919-536-7200, ext. 1516, email Gray at grayj@durhamtech.edu, or visit durhamtech.edu/student-services/veterans-services.
Contact Stephanie Turner, Marketing and Media Relations Coordinator, at turners@durhamtech.edu.