My name is Tim DelCollo, a four-year active duty Army vet, and now a student at Temple University. A fellow veteran, who is now a graduate of Rutgers University Camden, had talked me into giving school a try after about three years of working as a civilian after returning home. I did not think that school had been a viable option at the time as I had not taken SAT’s and my high school grades were average, if not poor. However, after talking with a very informative Rutgers Camden student veteran, Josh Piccolo, I had made a decision to give it a try. I was introduced to Fred Davis, Campus Director of the Office of Veterans Affairs at Rutgers Camden. Fred’s persistence and genuine desire to help veterans had given me a chance to attend college on the beautiful campus at Rutgers. The vibe around the veterans’ lounge was very welcoming and Fred had always been stopping by to make sure his vets were squared away with any issues that they might have had with school, or anything for that matter. There was a great presence from the RU-Camden Office of Veterans Affairs regarding their involvement with the student veteran population as there where many formal and social events held for us. I can attest to the comparisons in schools and say that a proactive veterans program, such as that of RU Camden, is not a given at all big universities, as one might expect. I would highly recommend talking with Fred Davis if you are a new veteran living in the tri-state area and have thoughts about school.
Timothy DelCollo, US Army veteran