Article by Julie Waechter, special to Adams State
Adams State students Ivy Evanson and Edwin Kroschel, along with alumnus Andrew Leonard, can attest to the accuracy of the university’s recent designation as a Military Friendly® School, ranked “Gold” in the category of Small Public Institutions. They are among 72 current students who are military veterans, active duty, or dependents.
“I am excited to say we are currently looking at a 10% increase for fall, based on interest and transfer students I heard from this semester,” said Adams State Veterans/Military Affairs Coordinator Kenai Douglas. His office supports these students in various ways, including accessing military education benefits.
He explained, “The Military Friendly® School designation means we have developed a community and are adamant about assisting military-affiliated students (dependent of a veteran, active military, or reservist) in their pursuit of higher education. We strive to create an environment where they can achieve their educational and career goals with confidence.”
Andrew Leonard earned his B.S in physical geography & conservation from Adams State in 2024, having served four years in the U.S. Army as E4/ SPC, 91B Wheel Vehicle Mechanic, Baumholder, Germany (DE), 10th AAMDC 5th Battalion 7th Air Defense Artillery Alpha Battery/Echo Company. Now he is a GIS technician with the Bureau of Elections in Sandoval County, NM.
He was familiar with Adams State through a high school summer lacrosse camp in 2014. “After I left the Army in 2020, I still had a desire to play college lacrosse, so I called up Coach Austin and walked on the lacrosse team. I was able to play for the next four years,” he recalled. “The Veterans Affairs Office at Adams State tremendously helped me out with registration, getting my benefits activated, and as a support group– just being there to chat with. I was also given a chance to become a work study. I would like to thank the VA Office staff and veterans for all they did and still do.”
Evanson, a sophomore sociology major from Nederland, CO, hopes to follow her late father into the Navy, of which he was a 16-year veteran.
“My goal is to get a Licensed Clinical Social Work (LCSW) Master’s degree and become an Officer in the Navy. This will allow me to provide support to those who are active duty, retired veterans, and their families,” she explained, adding she was attracted to Adams State’s small class sizes and low tuition. “I was very excited to come here because of how connected ASU is with the community and how the university acknowledges that students are important to the university.”
Now majoring in mechanical engineering, Petty Officer First Class (Ret.) Edwin Kroschel is also a Navy veteran, with 20 years of service. His US Navy rating is E6, Information Systems Technician First Class (Surface Warfare/Aviation Warfare/Information Warfare). His postings included Japan; Hawaii; Italy; White Sands, NM; Whidbey Island, WA, base of the VAQ-140; and Norfolk, VA, home base of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. He retired in 2022 after a final assignment aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt CVN-71, based in San Diego, CA.
Originally from Del Norte, CO, he had planned to attend Colorado State University, then learned about the mechanical engineering program offered at Adams State. “Since my mother was in very poor health, I decided to go to Adams State in case the worst should happen, which did that fall.”
He appreciates the support at Adams State. “The Veterans/Military Affairs Office has been incredibly helpful. I already had most of the information, and Kenai helped me fill in the gaps. Mostly, his office is somewhere to go to get away from civilian silliness, relax, and chat when there is time. It helps to have people around who know about the military.”
Douglas explained the primary military education benefit is Chapter 33 (Post 9/11 GI Bill), which covers tuition and fees for in-state tuition and provides stipends for housing and books. This benefit is earned for number of years in service and can be transferred to the service members’ dependents. Chapter 30 (VOCRehab) provides a similar benefit but is limited to veterans with a minimum 10% disability rating.
“Through this benefit, veterans work with a VA counselor to develop career goals and discover degrees to help achieve those goals,” Douglas said. He added benefits for military dependents also include Chapter 35 (DEA benefits) and the Fry Scholarship, available to those whose service member suffered death or disability or was a POW.
