Veterans find purpose and community at Illinois

For Liam Crawford, the move from military service to college brought an unexpected challenge: loneliness.

The Army Veteran struggled to connect with younger classmates after leaving a place he loved. Volunteering and joining organizations, including the Bass Fishing Club, helped him build friendships and find his footing.

“Being able to connect with some of those younger students helped me out a lot,” Crawford said.

His experience was among those shared during the Chez Veterans Center’s Veterans Day panel at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, titled “Voices of Service.” During the event, students discussed military service, education and the search for purpose beyond the uniform.

The conversation highlighted how differently that transition can unfold, even among students who share a military background. Panelists described bringing leadership and technical experience to campus while learning to navigate unfamiliar expectations and relationships.

Crawford, a sophomore studying history with an art minor, also serves in the Illinois Army National Guard and participates in Army ROTC. He described serving in the Army’s 1st Infantry Division as his proudest military accomplishment.

For Mikayel Sardaryan, a former Marine sergeant and transmission systems operator, military experience helped determine his academic direction.

Now studying electrical engineering, Sardaryan said difficulties with military radios motivated him to learn how to improve communications systems for future service members.

College also required an adjustment. At 22, he faced working alongside classmates several years younger after having supervised people their age. He found a way to connect by helping other students and sharing what he knew.

Cordelia Grob, an Illinois Army National Guard captain and company commander studying technology management, returned to Illinois after an intense deployment prompted questions about her future.

“How do I make sense of the world? What is my purpose?” Grob recalled asking herself.

She said military service strengthened her analytical thinking and ability to consider the consequences of decisions, skills she brings to her studies.

Navy Veteran Krissean Brown, a senior studying information science, reached a different turning point while stationed in Japan. The former gunner’s mate decided he was ready for higher education and another stage of life.

“I think I was ready to move on and branch into a different part of my life,” Brown said.

Natalie Koldenhoven, a communication student who works at Chez, brought the perspective of a military family member. Her father’s military and civilian careers, along with watching both parents work, helped inspire her own educational and career goals.

Keynote speaker Master Sgt. Joseph Bateman said those individual journeys require coordinated support.

Bateman, who serves as a first sergeant at U.S. Transportation Command at Scott Air Force Base, also works as a Veterans service officer for the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs. He attended Illinois after leaving active duty in 2014 and joining the Air Force Reserve.

“Veterans don’t stop being veterans when they become students,” Bateman said. “They simply begin adding another chapter to their identity.”

Navigating benefits, housing, academic requirements and health care can mean dealing with several offices, he said. Sometimes, the barrier is knowing where to start.

He urged campus offices to communicate and personally connect students with people who can help.

“Asking for help is not weakness,” he said. “It’s a way of accomplishing the mission.”

Andy Bender, the Chez Veterans Center’s director of operations and services, said the building represents a commitment to belonging for Veterans and others connected to military service.

“It’s really a commitment to ensuring that those who have served and those who are connected to that service know that they belong,” Bender said.

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