Northeast Alabama Community College is committed to helping its student veterans in transitioning to college and in succeeding in their chosen fields of study.

"We owe so much to our veterans for the service they have given," stated Dr. David Campbell, NACC President. "We want to make certain that we provide our veterans with the best possible benefits and opportunities as they establish themselves in civilian life."

The college provides a Veterans Services assistant, Holly Williams, located in the Financial Aid Office in the Wallace Administration Building, as well as many other campus services for students.

If you are a veteran and are looking for a college, Northeast is the place for you. One of our student veterans, Cayne Stephens explains why Northeast was his ideal choice.

Entering as a student veteran was actually quite easy for Stephens, he found. Holly Williams assisted him with his paperwork at the college. “She has always done a wonderful job of taking care of that for me,” Stephens said.

“Initially, I chose Northeast for its close proximity to my home, but I also knew that Mrs. Sherry Whitten, (a lifelong mentor of mine) worked there,” explained Stephens. “Obviously I did some prior research to ensure that NACC was in fact a good school to attend, and thus far I haven’t been disappointed.”

Stephens chose his field of study, engineering, based on lessons he learned about himself while in the service. He was a Technical Cryptologist First Class (E6) in the Navy and served for six years onboard USS Peleliu, stationed in San Diego, CA. It didn’t take him long to realize that he was strong in mathematics. He explained, “I have always been a bit of a solver. I spend my spare time thinking about solutions to problems.”

He describes the faculty at Northeast as “amazing.” “I have yet to meet an instructor who wasn’t genuinely interested in their students’ success,” he said. One of his favorite instructors is Greg Millican in the Mathematics Division. “His personality and teaching style are perfect, in my opinion. If there ever was a teacher who taught for the love of knowledge and success of younger generations, it is him,” offered Stephens.

“Cayne is a pleasure to teach,” stated Millican, who is also Chair of the Mathematics Division at Northeast. “His work in calculus and differential equations is stellar. He is willing to put forth the time and effort needed for complete comprehension of a mathematical topic. Given his work ethic and ability, I am sure Cayne will be successful in his chosen career. Northeast will certainly miss him when he transfers.”

Stephens’ plans include transferring to the University of Alabama in Huntsville in the fall and finishing his degree. “After college, I hope to find a job working for an over-the-top architect finding solutions to build their impossibly unique structures,” he added.

Stephens has a 4.0 grade point average and is on the President’s List. He is also a recent 2015 President’s Cup nominee.

“I am very proud of Cayne’s service to our country and of his accomplishments at NACC,” said Sherry Whitten, Director of the College and Career Planning Center at Northeast. “I look forward to seeing his success at UAH and in the world of engineering.”

Stephens encourages other veterans to take advantage of what their local community college has to offer and is confident in recommending NACC to prospective students. “My main selling points to someone would be location, academic standing, class size, and faculty. As I mentioned earlier, NACC’s faculty is second to none, in my opinion. Combine an excellent faculty with a smaller and more personal class size at a location that is close to home and you have a combination that can’t be beaten anywhere else,” he said.

He is proud to say he is a student veteran. “I’ve been all over the world and I’ve lived all over the country as well. I spent much of my childhood moving across the country to various states and schools, which has contributed to my confidence in declaring NACC among the best.”

In acknowledging his supportive family, he stated, “I have an amazing family. We’re a tight-knit group and we pride ourselves on being there for each other, no matter what.”

In his leisure, Stephens enjoys the outdoors--hiking, backpacking, swimming, art, drawing, photography, and learning in general. But, he added, “My greatest passion in life is knowledge, I think. I’m not satisfied unless I’m pursuing some higher level of learning, if for no other reason than the pursuit of it.”

For more about veterans’ services at Northeast, call Williams at college ext. 2204, or email her at williamsh@nacc.edu. Her office is located in 101-C of the Wallace Administration Building.

Summer semester registration is fast approaching at Northeast. Let us help you get enrolled today!

For more information about NACC, go to www.nacc.edu or download the college’s free App from the Apple App Store or by going to www.naccmobile.com.

Courtesy of Northeast Alabama Community College