Page 2 - VEP Stories of Success

Pictured above: Veterans Education Program students celebrate their completion of the program and their admission into Fresno State as undergraduate degree-seeking students.
Pictured above: Veteran Education Program students pose (with associate dean Daniel Bernard, center) after graduating from Fresno State with their baccalaureate degrees.
Tyler served 3 1/2 Years in the U.S. Army with dedication and honor
The program’s Speech course also benefited Verburg. “Our instructor taught us how to communicate with other students and professors.” One tip: professors with a doctorate should be addressed as “Dr.” Another tip: Most students don’t have the military mentality or intensity. So go easy. “That was the role of the program: to prepare us for what to expect at Fres- no State. Everything was spot on.” He also took the program’s three other courses: Critical Thinking, Quantitative Reasoning, and General Success covering library usage, time management and study skills.
DURING HIS TWO SEMESTERS IN THE VETERANS EDUCATION PROGRAM, VERBURG FOUND A WELCOME CAMARADERIE WITH OTHER VETERANS.
“We wanted to see each other give great speeches and write great essays. And if we were lacking, we had each other’s backs and tried to help.” The bond went deep. “It was different than liking the same football team. We all had dedicated our lives to our country’s cause – something that was bigger than our own – and we respected each other for that.”
Completing the program showed Verburg’s capacity to succeed at Fresno State, and he moved with confidence into the general student body as a criminology major. He was diligent – starting papers early and submitting them long before due dates. “I was just on top of everything.” He also took the initiative to serve as team leader when assigned group projects. Some students actually mistook him for a professor because he dressed well. “Man, that made me feel old,” Verburg, 27, says with a laugh.
In the end, he earned his bachelor’s degree in criminology-law enforcement in 3 1⁄2 years, maintaining a 3.9 grade point average and graduating in December 2021.
He hopes his next stop is a job with the Fresno Police Department. But before beginning the next phase of life, Verburg marked his education success by participating in the May graduation ceremony at Fresno State. “It was a day not only about me – I’m the first in my family to get a bach- elor’s degree – but a celebration for the many students I walked with.” He treasures his undergraduate years. “I absolutely loved everything about getting my degree. I loved learning and I loved meeting people.”
VERBURG APPRECIATES THE VETERANS EDUCATION PROGRAM, WHICH GAVE HIM THE SKILLS AND CONFIDENCE TO EARN HIS DEGREE.
“ Fresno State is the poster child of what a
c
ampus should be providing to veterans. The program is amazing, and I wouldn’t change a thing about it.”