Daemen University officially opened the Foundation 214 Veterans Success Center within the Alfiero School of Business on Wednesday, October 25, creating a central location for coordinated services, support, and programming for veteran and military-aligned students.
The center was funded through a $1.5 million grant from Foundation 214, a charitable foundation that supports United States military veterans. The goal is to address barriers to academic success for veterans with enhanced staffing to provide benefits analysis, advisement, career coaching, mental health support, campus linkages, referrals, veterans programming, and mentoring.
“Daemen and Foundation 214 both share a passion for and deep commitment to military veterans,” said President Gary A. Olson. “And together, we will rise to a new level of support for these all-too-often neglected heroes.”
The grant will also support the new Accelerated Business Online Veterans Education (ABOVE) program, an online and expedited pathway to complete a bachelor’s of science degree in Business Administration. Through the ABOVE program, veterans will be able to complete up to 90 credits through equivalency exams and transfer into Daemen for their final 30 credits.
“Nobody knows sacrifice like somebody who straps on a uniform,” added Chris Alfiero, the executive director of Foundation 214. “Some see way more sacrifice than they ever signed up for. So, the pathway to taking what they’ve learned and what they’ve had to endure and turning that into a path to success, this is one of the greatest ways that can happen.”
Meanwhile, the new veteran success center will complement the services and support offered through the Nancy Haberman Gacioch Veterans Center located in Duns Scotus Hall.