Director of veteran affairs helps students

By Tom Gallahger and Mike Straw

BengalNews Reporters

             Members of the Student-Veteran Association (SVA) at D’Youville College have a special nickname for the college’s director of veteran affairs, Ben Randle.

            “He’s the grandmaster,” SVA president Jimmy Borzillieri said. “He’s behind the curtains with everything. We don’t do anything without going through him first.”

            Sure enough, Borzillieri and Gary Lee, fellow student-veteran and club member, were quick to credit Randle for the college’s inclusion on the 2013 MilitaryFriendly Schools list through Victory Media last month.

             “At other colleges you have to push a little harder to get what you need,” Lee said. “But here, you ask Ben once and he takes care of it for you. He’s like a dad.”

            The Military Friendly Schools list honors the top 15 percent of U.S. colleges, universities and trade schools that put forth an effort to educate America’s veterans by offering programs, discounts and scholarships to them.

            D’Youville offers plenty of the aforementioned benefits, which certainly aids in the recruitment and retention of student-veterans.

             “It’s a very, very veteran-friendly environment,” Randle said.

            According to Sister Denise A. Roche, the college’s president, D’Youville’s student-veteran population has increased from 35 students in 2009 to 380 this semester – a tenfold growth in population. Part of that growth can be attributed to Randle and his desire to make the college experience for student-veterans whole.

            “[Randle] treats the student-veterans with great respect and offers whatever assistance each one needs,” Roche said. “He loves them as his own. He is exactly the right person for the job.”

 

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Marine Jeff Schneider works on his coursework in D’Youville’s student-veteran lounge.

            The college also has a 94.6 percent retention and graduation rate among student-veterans. Additionally, nearly 40 percent of those students are on the Dean’s List. While Randle can’t be credited entirely for the in-class success of the student-veterans, Lee said that he certainly helps.

            “You tell [Randle], ‘Hey, I’m having a little trouble in this one class,’ and he’ll get somebody to help you with it,” Lee said. “He’ll help you with anything, school-wise or not school-wise. He’ll find an answer.”

            Randle is a former marine and a Vietnam War-veteran, which played an integral role in Lee’s decision to join the school’s pharmacy program.

            “A lot of school’s veteran offices aren’t even run by veterans,” Lee said. “This office is important because it is [run by veterans].”

            “Pharmacy programs are hard to get into. I was on the waiting list, but Ben was going to the guy every day to get me in.”

            For Borzillieri, D’Youville was never really on his radar as far as prospective colleges were concerned. However, once he met Randle and learned of his welcoming nature, his preferences shifted and he ended up enrolling at the school.

            “I had every intention of going elsewhere for my core classes,” Borzillieri said. “D’Youville happened to be right down the street, so I came in here and found the VA office.”

            “I was reeled in 100 percent of the way. I didn’t consider D’Youville before meeting Ben.”

            Above all, Borzillieri noted that the college made the Military Friendly Schools list because Randle is a military-friendly man that cares about his student-veterans.

            “I never had to reintroduce myself to the guy,” Borzillieri said. “When you meet somebody that sees a million faces a day like Ben – they’re not going to remember you.”

            “Here, you don’t have to say your name twice to him.”

            The Military Friendly Schools list is in its fourth year and was compiled through extensive research and a survey of more than 12,000 U.S. colleges.                            Edited by Sara O'Brien