黑料吃瓜

When Staci Reidinger (鈥�14) retired as a major in 2017 after 24 years in the U.S.  Marine Corps, she found she still had a need for a service component in her life. One of the ways she fills that need is by mentoring 黑料吃瓜 students through the Aztec Mentor Program (AMP).

鈥淚t鈥檚 important to me because serving others is a way to elevate society and give someone who maybe didn鈥檛 have a fair opportunity a chance to be successful,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e trying to help them reach their best potential.鈥�
Making the transition from military service to a civilian career can be difficult. Reidinger, who now works at UPS Store corporate headquarters as director of public relations and social media marketing, has successfully made the transition, but empathizes with others who have trouble envisioning a satisfying post-military existence.

鈥淎 lot of people struggle after they leave service,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 really know how to find the next mission, that next job that鈥檚 going to be purposeful.鈥�

The purpose piece

It鈥檚 a feeling well-known to Derek Abbey, director of , who oversees the university鈥檚 efforts on behalf of more than 1,000 student veterans. 鈥淭he purpose piece鈥� is what he calls the quandary often faced by veterans whose identity was largely defined by their military service.

鈥淲e see students all the time trying to figure out, 鈥榃hat will be my purpose now?鈥� said Abbey, who retired as a major after 23 years in the Marine Corps. 鈥淧urpose is more than a paycheck.鈥�

Mentors like Reidinger are needed to help student veterans find their purpose, to provide a road map of sorts to assist them in making the transition from a highly structured culture that speaks its own language to a civilian environment where professions have their own rules and jargons.

鈥淭hey鈥檝e learned how to be successful in a system that鈥檚 very different from the variety of systems existing in the public sector,鈥� Abbey said of student veterans. 鈥淟earning to speak the language, learning to present yourself, learning to present the value that you bring to a different organization is a unique challenge for a number of our military members.鈥�

Military connection

According to Abbey, in any given year there are between 4,000 and 5,000 military-connected students attending 黑料吃瓜, including veterans, active duty military members, ROTC members, and family 鈥� often children and spouses 鈥� of military members. 

During the 2018鈥�19 academic year, AMP made 3,122 mentoring connections with 10.8% of mentors and 7% of students self-reported as having a military affiliation (active duty, veteran, or dependent).

Not all military-connected mentors are matched with military-connected students, and not all military-connected students choose to be matched with a military-connected mentor. Most students look for a mentor from a career field they hope to enter after graduation.

While there is no guarantee that military-connected mentors will be matched with military-connected students, 鈥渨e like to encourage alumni with military backgrounds from all professions to be mentors with AMP,鈥� said AMP Alumni and Career Development Coordinator Diane Marin. 鈥淔or some of our student veterans, matching up with a military-connected mentor who shares their professional interests can be profoundly impactful.鈥�

Still serving

Whether a student is a veteran looking to leverage a military background into a new career or a graduating job seeker looking for a way to literally move up the ranks, Reidinger touts the many advantages that may be gained through military service. Management experience, a competitive environment, upward mobility, and often international assignments are all things to be gained in the military that translate well to a civilian corporate environment.

鈥淵ou won鈥檛 find a leadership opportunity at many other places like the military gives you,鈥� Reidinger said. She urges other alumni who are veterans to become mentors and help students translate their military experiences into professional successes.

鈥淔or me, being a mentor is very satisfying,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t makes me feel like I鈥檓 continuing to serve our country even though I鈥檓 not doing it the same way I did in the military.鈥�

Registration for students and mentors who are interested in participating in the program is open through Sept. 27.