Rutgers-Camden Graduate and Army Vet Helped Pave Way for Veterans Seeking College Degrees

“I was lost,” admits Adams, a Palmyra resident. “I was 21 years old and felt like I had already lived an entire lifetime. I couldn’t relate to anyone. I didn’t find anything enjoyable. I was in a dark place.”

At Rutgers–Camden, Adams was able to fill the void in his life and help light the path through college for other veterans. Now, as he prepares to graduate with the Class of 2013 on May 23, Adams reflects on his time at Rutgers–Camden with a sense pride and accomplishment.

Like many returning veterans, Adams, a Palmyra High School graduate, faced a number of obstacles in enrolling in college to pursue a degree, including finding financial assistance and health benefits.

A Purple Heart recipient, Adams served in the Army from 2002-05 and was wounded in combat when he was ambushed and shot in his left leg and his left hand. He was diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder. His adjustment to post-Army life was, in a word, difficult.

“It was an alienating experience,” he says. “I started to get discouraged. I had been out of school for five years. It was a difficult time.”

Adams moved to Massachusetts to live with a fellow veteran and enrolled in Veterans Upward Bound, a program designed to motivate and assist veterans in the development of academic and other requisite skills necessary for postsecondary education.

After a brief period of time at the University of Massachusetts, Adams transferred to Rutgers–Camden. He still questioned whether he should even continue to pursue his degree until he was introduced to a network of veterans who, like himself, were struggling to adjust to life after military service.

“It was easy to relate to them,” says Adams, who discovered that he had a lot in common with a former Navy SEAL and Rutgers–Camden classmate named Bill Brown. “I would talk to him more and we linked up with other war vets that were in the same situation we were in. That’s when we decided to form the Veterans for Education.”

The student-run organization, now called Student Veterans at Rutgers–Camden, is dedicated to helping veterans transition to college life.

“We went all out to make things better for veterans,” Adams says. “It really turned me around. It was really motivating to see these efforts being carried out on our campus and on campuses all over the country.”

There are more than 300 veterans currently enrolled at Rutgers–Camden and about 3,500 combined at Rutgers–New Brunswick, Rutgers–Camden, and Rutgers–Newark.

“Not every veteran has the same experiences in terms of combat exposure, but all of the same stresses exist,” Adams says. “When you come out, you don’t really know who to talk to. You don’t know what you’re entitled to. It can be discouraging, but the more of a support network there is, the better off it will be for the guys who are coming home.”

As a marketing major at Rutgers–Camden, Adams completed his degree requirements in July 2012, but will participate in commencement exercises this month.  After completing his coursework, he was awarded a fellowship from The Mission Continues, a nationwide organization that places post-9/11 veterans with local nonprofit organizations to help them address key educational, environmental, or social issues.

Adams fulfilled his six-month fellowship by working with Operation College Promise, a national policy, research, and education program based in Trenton that supports the transition and postsecondary advancement of veterans.

He continues to work for Operation College Promise as a consultant while also making speeches across the country for Active Minds, a nonprofit organization that empowers students to speak openly about mental health in order to educate others and encourage help-seeking. Adams discusses his experiences with transitioning from the military to college life at institutions like The Citadel, Cornell University, and the University of Alaska.

“These programs are absolutely necessary for veterans today,” Adams says. “If I had no support group, I probably would have dropped out. I want more veterans to go to college. I feel like I’ve made a positive impact, but it wasn’t only me. We had a core group of people committed to helping veterans at Rutgers. It’s become a benchmark for other schools. Things are going to be better for all of the veterans following us.”