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Home Spotlight Student Support Spotlight: Veterans Empowered Through STEM (V.E.T.S.) Lab and Lounge

Student Support Spotlight: Veterans Empowered Through STEM (V.E.T.S.) Lab and Lounge

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Image courtesy of UHWO Staff

Welcome to a series that highlights the services the University of Hawaiʻi–West Oʻahu offers to help our students succeed. Student Support Spotlight will profile the wide-ranging services that are important for our students and campus.

Check out featured profiles on AdvisingAdmissions, the Behavior Intervention Team, the Bookstore, Campus Security, Career Services, Mental Health ServicesDisability ServicesDistance LearningFinancial Aid, the IT Help Desk, the James & Abigail Campbell LibraryNāulu CenterNoʻeau Center, Registrar, and Student Life.

Name of service: Veterans Empowered Through STEM (V.E.T.S.) Lab and Lounge

Where we are: E-135

Who we are:

  • Chantal Dewall, V.E.T.S. Program Assistant Director

  • V.E.T.S. Lab student interns

  • Isaac Cruz, V.E.T.S. Social Media Manager

  • Ryan Griffin, V.E.T.S. Lab Operations Manager

  • Brian Moyer, V.E.T.S. Lab 3D Technician

What services we provide: Welcome to the V.E.T.S. Lab and Lounge! We provide a comfortable place to study, grab a cup of coffee, and meet other student Veterans (when we’re not closed due to COVID-19!). We also have tons of awesome STEM equipment to use, like 10 3D Printers, a coding station, robotic kits, and more. We want to help students experience STEM technologies and have a place where they can feel the camaraderie they had when they served.

We also provide professional development services customized to Veterans and military, which includes resume reviews, LinkedIn tutorials, and access to career services just for Veterans! We can also help you understand what resources are available to you, like help with filing for VA disability, information on local VA Chapters, and just lend an ear to help you with your transition from military to student life. For student Veterans majoring in STEM degrees, we also have a program to help place you into relevant (paid) internships that can help give you experience for your career post-graduation. You can learn more about those internships and requirements by visiting our website.

What we’re excited about: We are thrilled to start hosting our robotics and 3D workshops next semester. We also have a Federal Resume, Civilian Resume, and LinkedIn presentations that will be available virtually via our social media pages, and in person as soon as restrictions allow.

What’s special about us: We offer what some other areas of campus don’t; we are all Veterans and know what it is like to serve, as well as go back to school. Being able to share common ground with student Veterans allows us to help you on your educational journey, and some of the challenges that can come with it. We’ve all been there.

What’s special about you: What we love about our student Veterans is your diversity. Our campus represents all the different branches, as well as a great mix of reservist, active duty, and retired members. We love seeing them come into the lab and get excited about the technology we have, as well as their comfort once they walk through our doors. We are grateful to have a space for those who feel like they can come to a place where everyone has walked a similar path.

Contact: Chantal Dewall at 689-2363, uhwovets@hawaii.edu. The V.E.T.S. Lab is currently closed for in-person visits until further notice, but feel free to call or email Chantal Dewall with questions, as well as to set up virtual appointments to learn about available internships and inquire about professional development help.

For all questions related to VA certification processes, please email uhwova@hawaii.edu. The V.E.T.S. Lab and Lounge can help you understand which VA forms to fill out depending on your situation, however we do not process them. Please ensure any paperwork for VA related Education Benefits are directed to the Office of the Registrar or uhwova@hawaii.edu.

Website: https://westoahu.hawaii.edu/vetstem/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UHWOVETS/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/UHWOVETS/

Image courtesy of UHWO Staff