Matthew Walters, Political Science Student

Student veterans, by virtue of service, work backward from the rest of the student population. Many enlist with no college experience, but by the time they've served their country and are ready to return to school, carry professional skills from the military and sometimes, other outside obligations. Political science student Matthew Walters is one such example of a student who, upon his return to NCC, carried many skills but was ready for the kind of personal development that he could not get in an Army uniform.

"I graduated from Pleasant Valley High School and started at NCC, but then went into the Army for seven years," explains Walters, whose four deployments included two to Iraq. "When I decided to leave the Army and get a degree, I had completed some schooling in Korea, and some in other places.  I was ready to piece my education together, and I knew that I wanted to advance myself in my knowledge of law and pick up where I left off."

Walters has personally seen to it that NCC provides himself and other veteran students with a proving ground and solid support infrastructure for their reintegration into campus society. When he returned to the Monroe campus, Walters realized that there were many veterans who could probably benefit from coming together -- not only to discuss their experiences, but to offer support and general goodwill to the community.  The Monroe Band of Brothers club was subsequently formed, which Walters now actively participates in along with his position in student government.

"The community college atmosphere is very welcoming, and that's definitely the number one reason why I came here," Walters says. "Because of my personal experience, there's a combination of focus and motivation for me - motivation that led me to start the veteran's group -- that I hope I can keep going for a while."

Walters recognizes that he may be presented with a number of options once he's ready to graduate from NCC, but for now is focused on enjoying his interactions with his peers and professors, and learning small-town politics that may give way to something bigger down the road.

"I want to just continue on with keeping my contacts that I've made here, keep a positive outlook, and stick with the same program...but I don't rule out a return to the military," Walters acknowledges. "There are things people miss about the military, and things that they definitely don't miss. Mine's more politically motivated. I'm speaking on behalf of a lot of vets when I say that coming home is difficult sometimes, but going to a lot of other places makes me appreciate what I have available to me here."