VECTR Serves Veterans, and Has More to Give

By Anjana Kallarackal

In just a few years, the Superior Plumbing Veterans Education and Career Transition Resource (VECTR) Center has become a vital part of the Cobb County community. The VECTR Center, housed within Chattahoochee Technical College on South Cobb Drive, helps U.S. military veterans and their family members with transitioning into post-secondary educational systems and into the civilian workforce. The efforts of the college, along with the addition of the VECTR Center, has earned them the designation of “Top 10 Military Friendly Schools” amongst large community colleges this year.

Early funding for VECTR came from appropriations by Georgia’s General Assembly. Additional funding was received from Jay Cunningham of Superior Plumbing, for whom the VECTR Center is named. The Veteran’s Lounge located in VECTR is named for and in honor of Cunningham’s father, 21-year U.S. Army veteran, Jim Cunningham. The school’s Marietta Campus is home to one of the two VECTR Centers in Georgia (the other is in Warner Robbins). Cobb County’s VECTR Center was opened in October 2022, making official the historic connection that the college had with veterans because of their proximity to the Dobbin’s Air Reserve Base, which was established in Cobb County in 1949.

Because of the longstanding tradition of veteran students attending Chattahoochee Tech, the Jim Cunningham Veterans Center was created in 2018 to provide dedicated space and resources to support veteran student success.

Last year alone, the Cobb County VECTR Center supported 3,000 veterans with resources and services such as obtaining educational benefits, filing disability claims, getting counseling, and finding housing.

One of the VECTR Center’s primary roles is to assist veterans with identifying a good career path based on both their interests and experience. To help with this goal, the VECTR Center offers interview preparation, coaching in job-related skills, and job search training. Beyond career guidance, VECTR also helps with obtaining financial aid, federal and state grants, and scholarships. The financial transition into civilian life often can be difficult for students to navigate. While the GI Bill does cover some educational expenses, it does not cover all. Last year, VECTR gave over $15,000 in grants and scholarships to 12 recipients to help pay for bills, books, and emergency situations they faced. VECTR also assists with one-off situations, such as costly school supplies, or with life expenses like an unexpected car repair.

Another major goal of VECTR is to assist with the transition process from military life to civilian academic life. Many veteran students find that it is difficult to transition out of the highly organized, structured environment of the military where discipline and routine is demanded, and then to suddenly be forced to determine how to structure a day and develop a routine for oneself. VECTR has a wealth of experience and resources to help veterans learn how to navigate life outside of the military and help create the habits needed to be successful in a new academic or professional environment. Additionally, at Chattahoochee Tech, faculty and staff undergo training called Green Zone, to help cultivate the awareness and sensitivity needed to cater to the unique needs of veterans, making their acclimatization to civilian life as smooth as possible.

At the helm of several of these efforts is Michael Payne, the current director of Chattahoochee’s Veteran Services and a Veteran Champion of the Year, as named by Military Friendly, a career assistance service for veterans. Payne oversees the VECTR program with the unique perspective of having a military background himself. After serving in the military for six years and transitioning into civilian life, he has been able to help many other veterans. After leaving the military, Payne, worked with the Georgia Department of Labor’s Disabled Veterans Outreach Program and later with the Chattahoochee Tech Office of Career Development.

According to Payne, one of the best features of VECTR is that no appointment is needed to take advantage of the Center. When you visit, you will immediately be greeted by someone who will take you directly to the department that you need without any of the long wait times that many other facilities suffer from. Getting people enrolled in school is one of VECTR’s top priorities, but being a student is not mandatory to make use of the Center. VECTR also serves veterans who need help with other areas of life, such as filing disability claims and enrolling in healthcare.

To cater to as many veterans’ needs as possible, VECTR collaborates with a multitude of partner programs. These include, but are certainly not limited to, services for managing post 9/11 cases, mental health counseling, behavioral health services, rehabilitation programs, services with access to food and groceries, and senior services. Some of the reputable organizations that VECTR works with include the Georgia Department of Veteran Services, VA Healthcare, the Warrior Alliance, and Connecting Cobb Veterans.

As Jennifer Nelson, the Vice President of Advancement at Chattahoochee Tech explains, “the facilities at VECTR and Chattahoochee Tech are so robust that they want to be able to share all the useful tools they have with as many people as possible.” This is why you might hear Michael Payne or other representatives of VECTR advocating on behalf of the Center in the local Cobb Community. VECTR is trying their best to connect as many veterans with the wealth of resources that are available to them by speaking at local community events and meetings such as Veterans Supporting Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legions, and Cobb Collaborative.

It is also worth noting that VECTR is open to donations of money and time. VECTR often collaborates with other organizations in the community. Recently, the Daughters of the American Revolution hosted a breakfast for veterans. And with Veteran’s Day on November 11, this is an especially meaningful time to learn more about the VECTR Center and support their efforts.

While VECTR is housed in Chattahoochee Tech, it is available to the entire veteran community of Georgia and is deeply committed to helping veterans and their family members get the best possible education and gain access to the many resources available to them. The creation of VECTR serves as a nexus point for veterans to plug in, find community, and access the support they need. For both individuals and organizations interested in working with VECTR, the Center can be visited in person without an appointment or contacted directly at veteranservices@ChattahoocheeTech.edu.