VMSS gets $5,000 to enhance veteran student jobs
From left to right: Tristan Stone, Calab Harmen, George Matis, Robert A. Murphy, Mary Driscoll, Mick Foster, and Travis Farrell
The Office of Veteran Military Student Success, in partnership with the Savannah River Mission Completion (SRMC), is working to ensure that veteran military students at the University of South Carolina Aiken have the best opportunities to succeed in the job market.
SRMC recently gave $5,000 to the VMSS office to institute a program in which military veteran students majoring in any STEM or business field can have internships that later open doors for job opportunities.
The donation will be used to host networking events and career guidance sessions for students.
VMSS originally started a similar veteran-to-career program in 2014, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the program was put on hold.
“A few weeks ago, I got a call from SRMC asking, ‘Robert, we did this great work back in 2014; can we bring it back?' Now the rest is history,” said Robert Murphy, director of VMSS.
USCA alumnus, Gary Corey, a U.S. Marine Corps Veteran, did the same internship with SRMC in January of 2013. Now he’s returned to his alma mater to help mentor young veteran students to do the same thing he’s done.
“I would explore all opportunities… You get to learn a lot and get the best experience from people who know what they’re doing,” Corey said.
Interested student veterans looking for internship opportunities at SRMC can do so by applying online.
To qualify, student veterans must maintain a GPA of 2.5 or higher and be at an accredited four-year university. They must also be working towards a bachelor’s degree in engineering, applied math, chemistry, or a master’s in business administration in project management.
For more information, contact USCA Marketing & Communication at news@usca.edu.