Building Bridges for California’s Student Veterans

April is Community College Month and for us here at Service to School, it’s great opportunity to recognize how much of our work with student veterans begins on community college campuses across the country.

Last week, our Director of Student Advising Emma set out on a week-long trip around California and had the chance to sit across the table from the people doing the hard, daily work of helping veteran students find their footing in higher education.

At Cuyamaca, Southwestern, Saddleback, and Diablo Valley, she met with counselors and student veterans at the start of that journey — talented, driven, and ready for what comes next.

At Stanford, Pomona, and Occidental, she saw where that journey leads — sitting with admissions teams and S2S alums already thriving at some of the country's finest universities.

What she saw again and again: the talent is there. Veterans in California’s community colleges are driven, disciplined, and ready. However, many lack a clear map that shows how to get from where they are to where they want to go. 

That’s exactly the gap S2S exists to close. 

"Service 2 School gives you the confidence to pursue your dreams. They surround you with people who have been in your shoes, who challenge you, and who help you see that what once felt out of reach is actually possible." Nicholas, a student veteran at Diablo Valley College & current S2S applicant.

The trip’s most significant stop may have been Camp Pendleton, where Emma sat down with the base’s Education Services Officer. This is the kind of meeting that doesn’t produce immediate results, but it plants the seeds for something lasting. The ultimate goal is making sure that when a service member at Camp Pendleton starts thinking about college, S2S is a name they already know and trust. 

For the veterans already in the transfer pipeline, the message is simple: you don’t have to figure this out alone. 

And for our partners and community college colleagues: this trip was a promise that we’re in this with you.