“I’ve always wanted to serve my country,” said Colleen Hennessy, non-traditional student at Northampton Community College (NCC) who also works full-time. “The Airforce seemed like a good fit, and offered more opportunity, so I enlisted.”
Following her honorable discharge in the late-90s, Ms. Hennessy struggled with PTSD, as about 30 percent of all veterans do. In 2015 she sought help, and three years later, she enrolled at NCC. She now envisions a bright future, with hopes to transfer to East Stroudsburg University to earn a degree in data analysis. She dreams of one day working at the Department of Homeland Security.
Ms. Hennessy found the Veterans Services Center at NCC helpful as she sought answers to her questions, but she considers her community college education as academically rigorous as any four-year program. She says that, without community college, she would still be jumping from one dead-end job to another.
“Community colleges help people find their way – at a price that is reasonable,” she explained. “More than anything, I want everyone out there who’s struggling to know that they have the chance to change their life like I did. There are resources out there to help you become the person you want to be. Northampton Community College was that resource for me.”
Pennsylvania community colleges recognize the sacrifice of those who have served in any branch of the United States Armed Forces and are honored to serve those who have served our country.
Veterans and their families can join us on November 11 for a special Veterans Day Celebration to honor our alumni, current students, and community members who are currently serving or who have served in the military. The College will unveil the new Veterans Resource Center on Bethlehem campus.
As a Veterans Administration (VA) approved Institution of Higher Learning, NCC has an office, and a resource center come November 11, dedicated to services and assistance for veterans, service members, spouses or dependents. Find more information on NCC’s Veteran Page.
From PA Commission for Community Colleges
