Gateway Opens Veteran Support Center in First Partnership with Cincinnati State Technical and Community College

Gateway Community & Technical College today opened a Veteran Support Center at its Edgewood Campus to provide academic, career and other services to veterans seeking to continue their education.

In Gateway's first-ever partnership with Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, the center will provide services under the Veterans Upward Bound program, which is made possible under a federal Trio grant to Cincinnati State.

This partnership between the regions two public community and technical colleges is just the beginning of what I hope will be a very close working relationship that bridges the river and serves the region. This first partnership to provide services to those men and women who have selflessly served our country, is a great example of the powerful impact of regional cooperation, said Dr. G. Edward Hughes, Gateway president/CEO.

The Veterans Upward Bound program has proven its value at Cincinnati State, and were excited about the opportunity to work with Gateway to extend these services to veterans in Northern Kentucky, said Dr. John Henderson, interim president of Cincinnati State.

The Veterans Upward bound program offers refresher courses, basic skill development, career advising, assistance with applying for financial aid, a variety of academic services, college life adjustment workshops and referrals to other essential veteran and community services. The Cincinnati VA Medical Center will provide access to healthcare referral services.

Patricia A. Goodman, Gateway dean of institutional research, planning and effectiveness and a U.S. Army veteran, spearheaded the project to create the center. Her husband recently returned from service in Afghanistan.

Our experiences taught us what returning veterans need to continue their education and make a successful transition to civilian life, Goodman said. Having a Veteran Support Center has been a Gateway goal for some time. The Veterans Upward Bound program available through the partnership with Cincinnati State was key to getting the center off the ground. The proximity and involvement of the Cincinnati VA Medical Center also enables us to offer a very broad range of services in one spot.

Veterans Upward Bound representatives will staff the center on Mondays from 8:30 a.m. to noon and Fridays from noon to 4 p.m. VA Medical Center personnel will be available every other Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The center will be open for additional hours soon, because we've just added John Beiting of Fort Thomas as an assistant through our work-study program, Goodman said. John is a Gateway nursing student and a U.S. Army veteran himself.

For more information on the center, contact Goodman at (859) 442-1173 or patricia.goodman@kctcs.edu.