Adrian Smith
Owens Community College is committed to serving those who have served our country. On this Veterans Day, we honor them.
Adrian Smith, a Dental Hygiene student, first joined the Air Force and then enrolled at Owens Community College. “There is another life for us after the military,” said Smith, who credits Owens Veterans Services with much of his success. During one class, Smith had trouble hearing a professor so he reached out to Veterans Services and Disability Services which gave him a device to use in class to make sure his education journey was not stopped due to his disability. “Owens has given me a safe space to be myself, study and network with other veterans,” he said.
This year, 33 colleges and universities in Ohio, including Owens Community College, received the Purple Star designation; the first designation of its kind in the United States. As a Purple Star Campus, Owens is recognized for showing a major commitment to students and families connected to the military. Owens is currently serving 208 military-affiliated students in the Fall 2022 semester.
“With all of the hard work that the employees and student workers do for veterans, I feel like the Purple Star Campus designation is very deserved,” said Smith. He said Owens has also been a Purple Star Campus in his eyes, but now it’s official and leaves the door wide open for fellow veterans to get the support they need on their educational journey.
In the Air Force, Smith’s background was in weapons. Now, he is looking forward to his future in dental hygiene. “As veterans, we are civilians, and there is no better way to reintegrate into society than to find something you’re interested in and do it,” said Smith.
Owens Community College is closed in observance of Veterans Day.
Learn more about Dental Hygiene >>
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Published November 2022