OSU-Cascades student veterans have new spot to connect, find academic support and resources

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Oregon State University – Cascades opened a Veterans Lounge this fall to provide a place for students who served in the military to connect and find academic and community resources.

The lounge is staffed by student veterans who serve as peer advisors. It offers computers, printers and a seating area for studying and gathering. The student staff are available to support students who drop by or make appointments.

The Veterans Lounge, located in Obsidian Hall, was funded through a grant from the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs.

This fall, 68, or 5.5% of OSU-Cascades students are veterans, including former active duty veterans and students receiving veteran dependent benefits. Of the student veterans:

• 19 are women.
• The oldest is 79; the youngest is 18.
• 37 are from Central Oregon; 10 are from elsewhere in Oregon; 21 are from 13 other states
• Of those residing in Central Oregon, 19 are from Bend; 12 are from Redmond; three are from La Pine; two are from Prineville, and one is from Terrebonne.

Activities underway by OSU-Cascades faculty, staff and students leading up to Veterans Day included volunteer efforts in support of the Central Oregon Veterans Village, an appreciation lunch for student veterans, a series of posters titled “I Served My Country” featuring stories about student veterans, and complimentary tickets for student veterans to attend the OSU football game on Saturday in Corvallis.

To learn more about veterans at OSU-Cascades, visit osucascades.edu/veterans-2021.