IC News

Jake Grodis ’24 didn’t have a typical college application essay. Most students, after all, don’t type out their essays on a cell phone while in Afghanistan.

But Grodis wasn’t your typical prospective student. A squadron leader in the 82nd Airborne Division, he had been out of high school for five years when he wrote his essay.

“It was short. I doubt it was a cream-of-the-crop essay,” he said. “But I mentioned that the military had taught me so much about discipline and timeliness and responsibility.”

Grodis, who hails from Rochester, chose to apply to IC because it was close to home and affordable as a participant in the Yellow Ribbon Program. He received financial support from the college which, together with funds from the Post-9/11 GI Bill and the VA, completely covered his tuition and fees.

He credits IC with taking a chance on him. “I think, especially for the older veterans, Ithaca College made a good choice in recognizing that while we might not have the history, the paper trail, to show we could be good college students, the skills we gained through experiences and training in the military can transfer to higher education.”

Originally planning to make his career in the military, Grodis realized that it didn’t offer the long-term stability and opportunities he had originally thought. The discipline, time-management skills, and sense of responsibility he learned during active duty, however, set him up for being an excellent college student.

“When I was in high school, I didn’t always give the best effort, but here, my GPA was 3.9,” said the Biology major, who is currently applying to medical school.

Beyond thriving in the classroom, Grodis has established social connections as well. When he arrived on campus in Fall 2020, he knew no other veterans. Looking to create a community of students with similar experiences, he reached out to others and, by his sophomore year, he and two other veterans had set up an IC chapter of the Student Veterans of America.

They were joined in 2022 by Sam Williams ’23, who had served in the Marines for four years, and Army vet Kyle Rouleau ’22. The two had met soon after arriving at IC in 2019 and discussed forming a club at the suggestion of Sean Reid, then the dean of the School of Business, who had been an officer with the Navy for over three decades.

“He found out that we were veterans, and he approached us with the idea to start a club,” said Williams.

One of the prime aims of the group was to create a place for camaraderie and the opportunity to build a community. Veterans are often older than their fellow undergraduates; they have had different life experiences prior to coming to college that inform their approach to higher education; and they may face atypical housing and financial needs. Having a space where
they can share their background stories and unique challenges is invaluable. “It makes you feel like you're not alone in it,” said Grodis.

Members also support each other with regard to practical issues such as applying for grants and navigating the Department of Veteran Affairs. Grodis said Rouleau was able to assist Williams in some of those areas.