Empoword

Additional Readings 447 Story, Mary, et al. “Creating Healthy Food and Eating Environments: Policy and Environmental Approaches.” Annual Review of Public Health , Annual Reviews, vol. 29, 2007, pp. 253-272. doi: 10.1146/annurev.publhealth.29.020907.090926 Yang, Wenya, et al. “Economic Costs of Diabetes in the U.S. in 2012.” Diabetes Care , vol. 36, no. 4, 2013, pp. 1033-1046. doi: 10.2337/dc12-2625 Student Veterans and Their Struggle with Higher Educatio n 134 Did you know that student veterans are one of the largest and most diverse sub- cultures to matriculate into higher education in America? Ever since the inception of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, the enrollment of service members post-military-service has skyrocketed. “Institutions have not faced such a significant influx of veteran students on campus since World War II” (Cook iii). Although they receive years of extensive training in military service, the skills that vets have learned are generally not immediately transferrable into civilian employment. With an abysmal job market, most service members are forced into higher education to obtain employment. The passage of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill was the most significant increase in education benefits for service members and veterans since the original G.I. Bill of 1944; however, recent data from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) shows that only a small percentage of veterans use all of their federal education benefits (Lighthall 81). According to American College Testing (ACT), in the United States approximately one in four freshmen do not return after their first year and almost half will not graduate—but the statistic is significantly worse for veterans (Cass 23). Billions of dollars are lost annually on freshman attrition and wasted G.I. Bill benefits (Ibid.). Why do so many service members struggle to succeed during their transition into higher education? The answer may vary from veteran to veteran, but they underlying theme is an inability to successfully transition from a highly structured military lifestyle into a self-sustaining civilian one. One major challenge faced by veterans is social reintegration after war. The well- known saying “War changes people” is profoundly true. Although not all vets see combat, it cannot be denied that the experience of battle is physically, emotionally, and spiritually damaging. Other students who have not served can never truly understand this. The people—students and faculty—have no understanding of what student