Posted: December 21, 2017Written by: Lauren Milbourne

Tags: 2018, featured, press release

For the sixth time, Cuesta College has been designated a Military Friendly® School by Victory Media, the leader in successfully connecting the military and civilian worlds. The 2018 designation recognizes Cuesta College as a leader in embracing military students, and for its commitment to providing resources that ensure their success in the classroom and after graduation. Cuesta College received this designation in 2012 and 2014-2018.

“We are proud to receive this award for the fifth straight year,” said Cuesta College Director of Admissions and Records Kristin Pimentel, who oversees the Veterans Resource Center.

“The award validates the ongoing work of the college to support our veteran students while providing them with an excellent education.”

Institutions earning the Military Friendly® School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey completed by the school. Cuesta College is the only community college on the Central Coast of California to earn the designation.

Cuesta College currently serves approximately 325 veterans annually. The college maintains a Student Veterans of America Club, providing social gathering opportunities for Cuesta veterans. A dedicated Veterans Resource Center is available on the San Luis Obispo Campus and, in the Spring of 2018, a similar center will open on the North County Campus in the new Campus Center Building. The centers provide a place for veterans, reservists, military dependents, and prospective students with military experience to learn about available benefits, connect with one another, and become active in other aspects of college life.

“The Veterans Resource Center is the heart of the Cuesta College’s veteran community and provides an atmosphere of empathy and respect borne of shared experiences,” said Cuesta College Veterans Resource Center Coordinator Karen Andrews, who oversees services assisting veterans, reservists, and dependents of service-connected disabled or deceased veterans. “We offer one-on-one assistance in order to ensure that our hundreds of veterans have a positive experience at Cuesta and feel supported along each step of their educational journey, and we are thrilled to be expanding this level of support to our North County Campus student veterans this spring.”

Cuesta College also offers free parking permits to veterans who attend college orientations through the “Mike” program in honor of former Cuesta College student and Army National Guardsman Mike Mihalakis, who was killed in 2003 while serving in Iraq.

For more information on the resources Cuesta College offers to veterans, visit the Veterans Services website or call (805) 546-3142.

Now in its sixteenth year, the Military Friendly® Schools designation and list by Victory Media is the premier, trusted resource for post-military success. Visit the 2018 Military Friendly® Schools website for a full listing of schools awarded.