RENO, NV – While in Reno, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) hosted a roundtable discussion with student veterans and the directors of veteran service programs from local schools to talk about challenges they are facing. They covered issues related to the lack of funding and access to student veteran resources, the struggle of transitioning from military to civilian life, the ability to access their earned benefits, and what Senator Rosen is doing in the Senate to address them. During the event, Senator Rosen highlighted legislation like her bipartisan Hire Student Veterans Act to incentivize employers to hire student veterans, and the bipartisan PACT Act she helped pass to give Iraq and Afghanistan veterans the health care they need to treat burn pit exposures. This roundtable consisted of student veterans from the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) and Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC).
“I had the honor to sit down with student veterans and veteran advocates in northern Nevada to listen to the issues they are facing and discuss how I’m working across the aisle to deliver for our veterans,” said Senator Rosen. “Our nation has a responsibility to take care of those who answered the call to serve as they transition back to civilian life, and that includes by making higher education more accessible. I’ll always stand up for the men and women who bravely served our nation.”
“The programs and services that UNR Veteran Services provides to our military connected students is imperative for their continued successful transitions from service to higher education and eventually to achieve professional aspirations. I am constantly impressed how each year the students create a sense of community and support network amongst each other,” said Chai Glenn-Cook, Director of Veteran Services at the University of Nevada, Reno. “It is an honor to have Senator Rosen meet our student veterans to gain further insight to the impact her proposed Veteran Education Empower Act would have on strengthening the services in the Nevada Military Support Alliance Veteran and Military Center for future students.
“The Veteran Services at Truckee Meadows Community College offers military-connected students the necessary resources to make a successful transition from the military to academic life and beyond towards their professional careers, even to a four-year program,” said Felipe Gutierrez De Alba, Veteran Program Director at the Truckee Meadows Community College. “I am grateful to Senator Rosen for taking the time to witness the positive impact that the TMCC Veteran Resource Center has on our military community in Nevada.”
Senator Rosen has been leading efforts to support our nation’s veterans. Last year, she introduced the bipartisan Hire Student Veterans Act to incentivize employers to hire student veterans for part-time work and paid internships. Senator Rosen also recently helped introduce the bipartisan VA Home Loan Awareness Act to increase veterans’ awareness of the VA Home Loan Program, which is the primary tool for helping veterans and their spouses achieve the American dream of owning a home. In September, Senator Rosen announced that she secured nearly $1 million for the City of Reno Housing Authority to help homeless veterans and their families access housing. She also secured authorization for a new VA hospital in Reno and pushed for Nevada’s first-ever Veteran Business Outreach Center.
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