Austin Community College Unveils New Military Network to Support Veterans and Families in Central Texas

Austin Community College District (ACC) unveiled its new Military Network at Highland Campus on Wednesday, a fortress of support aimed at the college's veterans, military members, and their families. The network features the ACC Veterans Resource Center (VRC) and the newly minted Military Families Center, fittingly housed under one roof to facilitate community and provide tailor-made resources.

"The Military Network means just that, it will be a great place for our veterans, military, and their families to come together and network," Dr. Molly Beth Malcom, ACC executive vice chancellor of Operations & Public Affairs, was quoted in an announcement at the ACC newsroom. The space is designed to be a home away from home, replete with a spot for children to engage in books and activities while their parents access the services provided.

Ivan Bolden, Transitioning Chief of Army Partnerships & Chairman, of the Joint Services Partnership Committee, touted the initiative's uniqueness and its potential for veterans to mentor newer military families based on their own experiences, as stated in the ACC newsroom. This comes as Central Texas witnesses an uptick in the population of military members and veterans, juxtaposed with a shortfall in necessary support systems and community resources.

Understanding this gap, Samantha Payne, an Army spouse, emphasized the center's role in easing the turbulent transition military families frequently endure, as mentioned in an ACC interview. "It is really important to have a place to come to get information that you need without having to make a billion phone calls," she said.

The Military Families Center is positioned as a conduit, linking families to a plethora of services including ACC's Dress for Success Financial Literacy Program, Career Services, co-working spaces, and digital fluency and support programs. Felix Madrid, an ACC veteran student, detailed the challenge of navigating the administrative jungle for families, from schools to state paperwork and beyond, saying, "But with this group of folks, these specialists, these professionals, they make it wonderful."

Since its inception in the fall of 2018, the ACC Veteran's Resource Center has served as a vital resource for academic, financial, and emotional support to student veterans and their relatives. The VRC's role is further magnified through its partnership with the U.S. Army's Army Futures Command Software Factory located at ACC's Rio Grande Campus, which has been operational since spring 2021, seeking transformative solutions to tactical technology issues.