A strong work ethic, leadership and the ability to collaborate in close-knit teams are skills that many student veterans bring with them when they enroll at Cal Poly Pomona.

A support system that fosters a sense of belonging and helps them achieve their academic goals is what the university offers in return through the Veterans Resource Center (VRC).

Jonah Aguirre served in the U.S. Navy on an aviation team for four years before majoring in electrical engineering with a psychology major at Cal Poly Pomona.

Jonah Aguirre, who served four years in the U.S. Navy, and John Offenburger E., who served four years in the U.S. Army, both found a community through the VRC, which provides resources and assistance to student veterans and veteran dependents to help them readjust to life in society and on campus.

"No one's experienced what I've experienced, and society's different in how they tell jokes, their culture and the way people mix together," said Aguirre, an electrical engineering senior with a psychology minor. "When you come to the VRC, you slowly work yourself back to society because you're around people you're used to and who've seen and done the same things as you."

The VRC helped Aguirre and Offenburger E. use and understand their G.I. benefits, meet deadlines and build relationships with industries that hire veterans. In turn, they help their peers as ambassadors for the VRC.

Being of service to others comes naturally to Aguirre and Offenburger E., who both struggled to support their families long before helping student veterans and veteran dependents.

Before joining the Navy at 21, Aguirre looked after his niece during the day and worked overnight for three years to help his family financially.

"My mom loved the help but encouraged me to go and do what I needed to do," Aguirre said. "I needed to get out and find out what I'm good at or what I need to do to succeed in life."

While in the Navy, Aguirre worked with aviation teams. He maintained the computer and electronic systems for F-18 super hornets, jets that fly nearly two times the speed of sound, about 1,190 mph. He was enthralled by flight and amazed at pilots' skills from watching the History Channel as a teenager. He enjoyed his job in the service but decided to leave active duty for a more stable life.

John Offenburger E. ('22, computer information system) receives a Dean's Honor award from L.A. City College President Mary Gallagher ('81, business administration) before he transferred to Cal Poly Pomona in 2019.

Offenburger E. ('22, computer information system), a master's student, moved to the United States from Nicaragua when he was 17. He lived with his father at first, then moved out to be more independent and wanted to work to support himself, his mom and two sisters back home.

As a high school student, he decided to enlist in the U.S. Army when he met a recruiter who was a Sergeant First Class and moving on to her next rank at age 35. Offenburger E. thought that if she could be successful while young, then he could be too. He spent four years on active duty as a tanker, riding with a small team tasked with making sure the vehicle was working properly and ready for mission.

For Offenburger E., it was difficult to leave the Army, where he felt he found his second family. He has continued to serve in the Reserves for 11 years while transitioning back into society and going to school.

In navigating the transition, he found ways to serve his community and strengthen his skills in computers. Offenburger E.'s interest in computers started out of frugality and necessity; he didn't have enough money to buy a new computer and learned to fix things on his own. He recognized that others in the Latino/a/x community had a language barrier that made it more difficult to learn how to fix their computers or receive advice, and he started to help people who needed it.

He transferred to Cal Poly Pomona in 2019 from L.A. City College because he was inspired by the college's President Mary Gallagher ('81, business administration), who had helped bolster the community college's reputation. He trusted that if Cal Poly Pomona gave her the skills to do that, then he could learn great things as well.

After earning his bachelor's degree, he continued at Cal Poly Pomona, enrolling in the MBA program and becoming the president of the Society of Law, Contracts and Property.

"CPP and the VRC has been a place to help me prepare to enter the labor force," Offenburger E. said. "It is a little scary and makes me a little happy at the same time, but I'm looking forward to seeing who will give me the first opportunity after I graduate."