Many on Fresno City College Campus juggle military life and college.

FCC is home to many students juggling military service and college classes simultaneously.

Those students are obligated to meet their responsibilities to the U.S.  Armed Forces and complete their college assignments at the same time.  Like other students, they must worry about earning good grades and completing their programs of study.

Veteran Tobias Johnston enrolled at FCC this semester after seven months of deployment as an infantry Marine in Afghanistan.  He was as a Special Operations Reconnaissance Marine and returned in June 2012. His experiences in Afghanistan stand in stark contrast to his life as a civilian college student.

But Johnston says being at FCC is helping him to gain knowledge in areas outside of his skills in weapons, tactics and special operations.

“It was a good experience. Getting good grades is easier — way easier — because I’m actually focused on what I’m here for,” Johnston said.  “However, the work is a little bit harder just because it has been so long since I’ve been out of school.”

He is majoring in chemistry and minoring in botany and hopes to transfer to Humboldt State University in the fall.

Another student who is combining military service with college is Michael Olague, the executive vice president of the FCC Associated Student Government. Olague is on a reserve status with the National Guard as well as a chemical operations specialist for a company in Turlock, Calif.

Although his unit is non-deployable due to their task of dealing with the decontamination of hazardous materials throughout the state, Olague is keeping busy with trainings for the National Guard as well as his responsibilities to ASG and his own education.

He said his involvement with ASG serves as a form of service to the FCC community.

“I guess the military instilled a code of selfless service in me to where I was proud to contribute towards the greatness of society,” Olague said. His role in ASG also ensures his cooperation with others in a climate of teamwork and mutual respect.

“It was nice to be part of a team again. You miss the camaraderie,” he said.  “That’s the one thing that’s kept me going for as long as I have been.”

For a veteran, adjusting to life as a college student can be daunting. However, there are several programs and opportunities available to student veterans that aim to help them navigate the college landscape more easily.

The Veterans  Office is located downstairs in  the Student Services building. There, veterans can find help with a multitude of problems including identifying the GI Bill chapter applicable to their military branch and creating educational plans.  The Office also hosts workshops for filling out financial aid forms and job fairs created specifically for veterans.

The work study program is one other way that FCC provides opportunities to veterans and enlisted military students alike.  Most of the students employed by FCC to work in the Veterans Office for work study are veterans themselves.

Such is the case for Tristan Riordan, a Marine Corps veteran.  Riordan returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2010. After spending time in San Diego, Riordan enrolled at FCC to finish his education. He is now enrolled at Fresno Pacific University.

“We can pretty much make our own hours which is really nice especially if you’re going to Fresno City College,  so you can go to a class for two hours, come back, [then] work for two or three hours,” Riordan said. “It’s something to keep you busy still, something that gives you a little bit [of]  extra cash in the pocket,” he added.

Programs such as the Post-9/11 GI Bill provide veterans who have served on active duty after Sept. 10, 2011, access to financial assistance for housing and education.  The bill is sponsored by the U.S.  Department of Veterans Affairs and may cover tuition, housing costs, books and supplies, and even tuition for trade schools, apprenticeships and much more. This program can provide benefits for up to 36 months, according to the information on the VA website.

Another program for military students is the Yellow Ribbon Program which helps fund the unmet costs for an individual’s education. Benefits can count toward tuition at expensive private schools or out-of-state colleges. The degree-granting institution must agree to pay for a portion of the unmet need. The VA will then match the amount for the student’s education and pay it directly to the institution.

Military professionals not only dedicate themselves to service in specific trades and ranks, they must also survive in the civilian world upon return from deployment or after training. For individuals in this circumstance, a chance to earn a college degree is a first step in their return to “normal” life.