Operation College Promise staff (left to right) Frank Foy, outreach specialist; Wendy Lang, director; and William Keyes, associate director.

Discover military veteran and TESC alum David Orozco's tips for transitioning into the civilian job market and how the College helped him start his second career. Visit our Operation Vet Success page to learn more.

Operation College Promise Now Part of Thomas Edison State College

OCP's integration into College structure means promises kept for military veterans

Operation College Promise (OCP), a national policy, research and education program that supports the transition and postsecondary advancement of U.S. military veterans, is now officially part of Thomas Edison State College.

According to Louis Martini, associate vice president of the Office of Military and Veteran Education, combining forces with OCP will reinforce the College's expanding mission to support military and veteran students in their academics goals, and beyond.

"Having OCP's staff and services incorporated into our structure will greatly benefit the students we serve," said Martini. "When the College launched its own Operation Vet Success program earlier this year, we were focused on providing a resource center that guides our military and veteran students toward degree completion. Bringing in the OCP program enables us to expand these objectives by connecting our students to services that go beyond academic support."

According to Martini, this can include career assessment support and helping students identify and connect to ancillary services such as housing, childcare and health services.

OCP was established by the New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities (NJASCU) in 2008 as a Web-based platform centralizing information for veterans interested in pursuing a college degree. The program grew into a leading resource for both U.S. veterans and a higher education community – that included Thomas Edison State College – by providing professional development programs for institutions that work with military and veteran students. Through its workshops, the OCP program has trained more than 500 professionals from 30 states through its Certificate for Veterans' Service Providers (CVSP), a multiday professional development program.

The College welcomes Director of Operation College Promise Wendy Lang; Associate Director William Keyes, who is also a retired U.S. Navy chief petty officer; and OCP Outreach Specialist Frank Foy, a former U.S. Marine, to its staff.

"Now that OCP staff is part of our College community, we are more uniquely positioned to answer the needs of our military students and other institutions who seek to support them," said Martini.

You can contact the OCP office by emailing William Keyes at wkeyes@tesc.edu.

To learn how your military training can be accepted as college credit, view potential degree programs and learn about possible career options, visit our Military and Veteran Portal.

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