Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell, D-Theresa, said the opening of a Battle Buddy Center on the SUNY Canton campus is the latest step the college has taken to ease the pathway as veterans transition from the military to the workforce.
New York State Industries for the Disabled, Inc., (NYSID) officials presented a $10,000 check to assist the college expand its current lounge for veterans into a Battle Buddy Center.
Battle Buddy Centers are safe havens for veterans to socialize with their fellow veterans and receive services they need.
Based on the military concept of a “Battle Buddy,” which partners soldiers to assist each other both in and out of combat, Battle Buddy Centers offer activities to encourage camaraderie and foster veterans to give and receive mutual support. NYSID is working in collaboration with St. Lawrence NYSARC at the Battle Buddy Center at SUNY Canton.
Through this Battle Buddy Center, NYSID, St. Lawrence NYSARC and SUNY Canton provide a space for more than 120 veteran students, National Guard/Reserve Students, active duty students and their dependents to study, socialize with one another, and receive services they need.
The college’s Military & Veterans Services Office is adjacent to the Battle Buddy Center, increasing the office’s visibility and enabling students to utilize the services provided.
Assemblywoman Russell said the North Country has a long history of respecting and supporting veterans. She also praised the steps SUNY Canton has taken to make the college a welcome place for veterans to earn their college degrees.
"We understand there is a long-term commitment to our veterans. Today's announcement here at SUNY Canton, in partnership with NYSID and St. Lawrence NYSARC, demonstrates that the commitment to our veterans is not just a static commitment," she said.
Assemblywoman Russell said many of the technical programs offered at SUNY Canton fit well with the skills the veterans have acquired during their years in the military.
She pointed out SUNY Canton has also taken steps to ensure services are in place, including the establishment of a Military and Veteran Student coordinator post held by Patrick Massaro, to assist veterans succeed in the next phase of their lives.
"Having such a strong veteran support system here and the no-nonsense technical education provided at SUNY Canton, I don't think you could find a better fit anywhere in the state. You are creating an environment that should be emulated on far more campuses in our state," she suggested.
"To see this investment is truly inspiring. You are creating a culture of specialized support and services to help our veterans succeed," Assemblywoman Russell said.
SUNY Canton President Dr. Zvi Szafran said the ability to enhance the current veterans' lounge will help the college better meet its standing mission to aid veterans and their families with a successful transition from active duty, through education, into their chosen civilian career.
He said the Battle Buddy Center is designed to be a place where veteran can socialize with other veterans and get the services they need.
"You will always be welcomed and supported here," he told the student veterans attending the dedication ceremony.
St. Lawrence NYSARC CEO/Executive Director Daphne Pickert said her agency, selected as the preferred source partner of NYSID for the SUNY Canton Battle Buddy Center, is looking forward to helping local veterans with disabilities gain successful employment through NYSARC's Career Opportunities program.
She said her agency brings a lot of the table, including services for veterans with disabilities or veterans with children with disabilities.
Thomas Sanford, a veteran of the United States Marine Corps receiving his bachelor's degree in Finance from SUNY Canton in a few weeks, praised SUNY Canton for providing services that helped him succeed as he left his role as an aviation technician in the military to study accounting and finance.
Mr. Sanford, who has the highest grade point average in his class, said those services had helped him develop into a student ready to be professional in the civilian world.
"The lounge we have has helped me transition from the military to civilian life, and now we are making it even better. Just the importance of having a little space that is our own. Veterans talk to other veterans differently," he said, noting they can relate to shared experiences that are different than their fellow students.
Paul Qurini, outreach and communications specialist with NYSID, said the campus centers for veterans are based on the battle buddy concept instilled in active duty members of the military.
"They inherently understand each other and help and trust each other," he said.
SUNY Canton Professor Emeritus Dr. William Fassinger, a veteran of the U.S. Army and former co-advisor and then advisor of the SUNY Canton Student Veterans' Association, served as keynote speaker for the dedication ceremony for the 11th Battle Buddy Center operating in the state.
"SUNY Canton has received military friendly status many times over the years. Veterans and their family members receive a quality education and the services they need here," Dr. Fassinger said.
He also said the student veterans' association has become very active on campus and is involved in a number of community service projects in the community each year.
Following the dedication center, student veterans' association members held a ceremony to mark a tree that had been planted on campus in honor of Dr. Fassinger's service to the school and its students.
IN THE PHOTOS:
Top photo:
Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell, second from right, joins fellow speakers including SUNY Canton President Dr. Zvi Szafran, St. Lawrence NYSARC CEO Daphne Pickert, SUNY Canton senior and U.S. Marine Corps veteran Thomas Sanford, NYSID Outreach and Communications Specialist Paul Quirini, SUNY Professor Emeritus Dr. William Fassinger and James E. Reagen, public affairs director for State Senator Patty Ritchie, after NYSID presented SUNY Canton with a $10,000 check to expand the school's veterans' lounge into a Battle Buddy Center.
Photos Below:
Dr. William Fassinger (left), professor emeritus and former advisor of the SUNY Canton Student Veterans' Association throws dirt on a tree planted in his honor on the campus. Dr. Fassinger was the keynote speaker at the dedication ceremony for the college's Battle Buddy Center. Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell and SUNY Canton President Zvi Szfran also participated in the tree planting ceremony.
Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell speaks during the dedication ceremony for the Battle Buddy Center at SUNY Canton.
Thomas Sanford, a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and senior at SUNY Canton, talks about the support he has received as a student veteran on campus.
Members of the SUNY Canton Students Veterans' Association join Dr. Fassinger, Assemblywoman Russell and SUNY Canton President Dr. Szfran at the tree planting ceremony.
Members of the Canton VFW Color Guard posted the colors at the dedication ceremony for SUNY Canton's Battle Buddy Center.
SUNY Canton senior Rebecca Jean Baptiste, a senior Liberal Arts major at SUNY Canton, sings the National Anthem at the dedication center for the SUNY Canton Battle Buddy Center.
