Dad Lon (Lonnie) Snowden
https:// www.newspapers.com/newspage/280046165/
The Morning Call
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Friday, March 12, 2010 - Page 58
Giving Back to U.S. Veterans
The Wescoe School Welcomes Veterans to Campus
Historically, one of the best things we as a country have been able to offer veterans has been the GI Bill - a bill that, with the blessing of Congress - has provided tuition assistance to veterans who want to pursue their education when they return from active duty. Last year, the bill was revamped into the Post 9/11 Gl Bill, which provides tuition payments directly to the school, a monthly living allowance for the student and a book stipend. Under the new policy, veterans that have served 36 cumulative months can get 100 percent of their tuition covered.
An issue with the GI Bill in the past has been an educational and motivational one: returning veterans weren't aware of the program and, even if they were, they were not always able or inclined to take advantage of it. Returning veterans have many issues to deal with - from health concerns to family situations. Often, since the veterans weren't college-bound before entering the service, they don't necessarily think in those terms afterward.
The Wescoe School set out to reverse this scenario several years ago by helping veterans understand what they're entitled to. The effort, led by Associate Dean Joe Kornfeind, involved making presentations to armories, Department of Veterans' Affairs offices, and U.S. Army posts like Fort Indiantown Gap in Lebanon County. Last year, the school had a display at the annual Mayfair Festival in Allentown, close to the Vietnam Veterans' War Memorial.
Activities have also included events on campus with veterans themselves, state representatives or with military recruiters, who could then convey educational benefits to the people they met. The result has been positive, with veterans taking advantage of their GI benefits in numbers not seen since World War II.
"We have never been self-serving in this program," says Kornfeind, who describes his role as a "one-stop shop" for veterans. "If a vet comes to us with a specific interest, even if our college doesn't offer that program, we will follow up for that student and make sure he or she gets to the right person. It could mean referring him or her to another school."
Kornfeind explains that if someone calls or shows up at his office, he will start a conversation, do an assessment of the person's interests, and help find the best resources and place to go for whatever the person may need. He has seen too many cases, he says, where if this isn't done, "it can take a year for the person to pick up the phone again and call."
Lon Snowden is a student at The Wescoe School who served more than 30 years in the Coast Guard. He entered the military as an avionics electronics engineer, flew helicopter rescue missions, served as a military officer and finally, was program manager for a Coast Guard aviation procurement program. When he retired in 2009, he realized that he had an interest in starting a business.
"What you learn in the military doesn't always translate over into the private sector," says Snowden. "I wanted a good foundation. If my business fails, I don't want it to be because I didn't do something right."
Snowden, who took advantage of the Post 9/11 GI Bill to further his education, says he "did a lot of research on schools," before he chose The Wescoe School. He particularly liked what he calls the institution's "real world" approach.
"For 20 years, I managed challenging projects in close partnership with the world's best defense contactors and I have been very impressed with the rigor and relevance of the Wescoe courses," he says. "There is a project every single week, you have to be in class on time and you have to have assignments completed on time."
"I could have chosen a faster route," adds Snowden, "but I wanted to go somewhere where I would learn."
Snowden is majoring in business administration and will be able to graduate with a bachelor's degree in 2011. After that, he plans to move to an MBA program at Lehigh University, and then look for a small business opportunity. "I want something that's challenging, and I want to be able to provide salaries for other people," he says.
Like most veteran students returning to school, Snowden has his own goals, and a unique background. This diversity is something that professors and administration take into account when structuring and executing everything about the college experience, from the programs to the class routine. Taking these distinct needs of veterans into account is important to Kornfeind.
[Lon Snowden, a veteran and student graduate in 2011.]