FORT PIERCE, Fla. — Indian State River College in Fort Pierce was just named a Purple Star College.
The school received the honor from the Department of Education for their continued support of their student veterans.
Just this fall, the campus has 231 student veterans and 190 of them are currently attending the school on the GI Bill.
Vance Grant is the coordinator for military and veterans services at IRSC. He says this is a huge honor because they are just one of eight schools in the state to earn the accreditation.
The department offers a wide range of services for active military students and veterans alike. The college has a department dedicated specifically to military students and if you take a walk around campus you will find veteran-only parking.
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The school provides veteran-friendly classes, even offering online classes to those who are currently deployed out of state or out of the country. They help veteran students find jobs after graduation and work closely with their students who may face challenges like PTSD.
Student Krissy Faulk joined the Army at 29 years old, following in her family's footsteps. She went on to serve in the military for a decade, traveling across the world on deployment. During her tour in Afghanistan, her military career came to a sudden end.
"I was in the back of a Chinook helicopter, we were propelling off the back, I had about 70 pounds of gear on and I landed wrong. I crushed four vertebrae so I have titanium in my spine."
After a long road to recovery, she made the decision to go back to school at Indian River State College. Faulk had attended previously when she earned her associate's degree from the college. Now, she was returning as a student veteran. She is finishing up her bachelor's in organizational management and plans to use her degree to help run her small soap-making business.
IRSC hopes the Purple Star honor will attract more veterans to attend their college and allow them to further and advance their education.
Grant says the award brings a sense of pride and comfort to our veterans, knowing that this institution is recognized by the state of Florida as a collegiate Purple Star campus.
