July 09, 2025 | Adelyn Mui The Chez Veterans Center showed an increase in military-connected student engagement in the first year after implementing a comprehensive case management model. The number of unique students Chez served increased by 25.89%, meaning that the center had expanded its reach to more students while focusing on more targeted, individualized […]
Category: Chez Veterans Center
At 10 years, Chez Veterans Center honors its family and friends
May 19, 2025 | Ethan Simmons After long journeys to Urbana-Champaign, the Chez family joined each other at the campus center bearing their name, beaming with pride. Thirteen years ago, Ron Chez—a 1962 University of Illinois graduate and Army veteran turned investor and philanthropist—provided a lead gift to build the Chez Veterans Center. Since then, […]
(Joe) Rank and file: Retired Naval officer became a Chez Center guide
Jan. 14, 2024 | Ethan Simmons Now-retired Joe Rank is helping sustain a campus resource he could’ve used as a military veteran who returned for further education: the Chez Veterans Center By fall 1965, the conflict between North and South Vietnam had escalated, as had the United States’ military involvement. With the draft looming, Urbana […]
Chez plays host to Warrior-Scholar Project for second year
July 10, 2023 | Ethan Simmons Chez again hosts two‑week Warrior‑Scholar Project boot camp for veterans For Chez Veterans Center director of operations Andy Bender, the function of the Warrior-Scholar Project is straightforward: Offer military Veterans a two-week-long academic “boot camp” to reacquaint themselves with the classroom environment before heading to a college or university. […]
How Joe Rank became a Chez Center guide
June 20, 2023 | Ethan Simmons Joe Rank is helping sustain a campus resource he could’ve used as a military Veteran who returned for further education: The Chez Veterans Center By the fall of 1965, the conflict between North and South Vietnam had escalated, as had the United States’ military involvement. With the draft looming, […]
Warrior-Scholar Project shows Veterans college is within reach
Aug. 08, 2022 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo Chez Veterans Center hosts program to give service members a bridge from the battlefield to the classroom For Tizoc Rubio, the prospect of college seemed far-fetched. Then he happened upon the Warrior-Scholar Project. “When you’re enlisted, you’re kind of bottom of the barrel. And you’re of that mindset that […]
Andrew Bender appointed director of operations at Chez Veterans Center
June 02, 2022 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo Andrew Bender has been hired as Director of Operations at Chez Veterans Center, effective July 1. Bender, who served in the U.S. Army and reached the rank of lieutenant colonel, comes to Chez from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Career Center, where he has been serving as the associate […]
Chez Center hosts program to ready veterans for higher ed
Aug. 1, 2024 | Ethan Simmons While Adam Sherman Jr. sat for the two-hour bus ride from Chicago O’Hare Airport to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus, a pit was forming in his stomach. He’d spent six years in the Navy, stationed in Japan and California for three years apiece, sometimes working out at sea […]
University of Illinois designated as Purple Heart university
Oct. 15, 2021 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo The Chez Veterans Center at Illinois serves more than 550 military-connected students The University of Illinois was designated Friday as a Purple Heart university, awarded the honor because of the university’s longstanding commitment to military veterans. “This university has a tradition unlike any other that goes far beyond just […]