Graduate Profile: Army Veteran, Police Officer Alex Bruckner Earns CJS Degree

by Neree Aron-Sando

In 2010, what Alex Bruckner needed was a little flexibility.

That year, the 25-year-old Eagleville resident had just been discharged from the U.S. Army after two tours of duty. He was enrolled in the Montgomery County Police Academy where he was assigned the rank of lieutenant (class leader). He was hired as a full-time police officer, and he got married.

“I’ve had a lot on my plate,” Brucker said.

“I chose Montgomery County Community College mainly because of its convenience since I live in the area,” he said. “I attended classes at the Blue Bell campus as well as the Pottstown campus and found the class schedule to be extremely flexible for the ‘working student.’”

Bruckner graduated in May from Montgomery County Community College’s Criminal Justice program.

Bruckner benefitted from the Post-9/11 GI Bill, but would have considered Montgomery County Community College a bargain without it.

“I would say that $300 to $400 for a college class is very affordable, and if the GI Bill was not available, MCCC still would have been my first choice,” he said.

After serving two tours in Iraq in a unit tasked with addressing IEDs (improvised explosive devices), he enrolled in the Criminal Justice Program at MCCC.

“The main objective for my unit was to clear the roads of IEDs. We would travel the roads in an attempt to spot the IEDs before they exploded on us,” said Bruckner. “Once we found the IED, we would execute a controlled detonation to neutralize the bomb so no one got hurt. I am very proud of the men I served with and the selfless sacrifices they have made.”

After living history, Brucker enjoyed studying it.

“I would say the most important experience I had at the college was being a student of Professor James Robertson and Dr. [Daniel] Rolph who were very knowledgeable history teachers,” Bruckner said.

“Professor Robertson was very quirky and presented history in a fun way that kept it interesting. Dr. Rolph was extremely knowledgeable as he works at the historical society and has spent much of his life studying history. Both men did a great job of presenting the facts of history and avoided the liberal slant that seems to plague many universities across America.”

With his career as a Montgomery County police officer already under way, he’s not sure if additional education is in the cards.

“One thing that I have realized in our current economic state is that just having a degree doesn’t pay the bills or get you a job. You need to be creative and motivated to pave your own way instead of relying on a piece of paper to do it for you,” he shared.

VIDEO: Student & Marine Corps Veteran Alan Poindexter Featured on NBC 10

Montgomery County Community College student leader and Marine Corps veteran Alan Poindexter talks with NBC 10 about injuries he sustained in Afghanistan. Click on the image below to watch the video!

Press Clip — Leesha Quigg: Operation Duality

Montgomery County Community College student and  U.S. Army Civil Affairs Specialist  Leesha Quigg was featured in the Fall 2011 issue of pdnedu: The Magazine for Emerging Photographers & Photo Editors.

While serving for year in the province of Diwaniyah, Iraq, Quigg photographed the simple, yet poignant moments of the Iraqi people—children playing in the streets, students learning in refurbished schools, and widows attempting to rebuild their lives. Her work was displayed last spring at the College’s West Campus.

Click on the image below to read the magazine article.

The College is a ‘Military Friendly’ Place to Learn

by Alana J. Mauger

For the third consecutive year, Montgomery County Community College earned the designation as a Military Friendly School, as determined by G.I. Jobs magazine, a resource publication for veterans and active military.

Each year, G.I. Jobs analyzes 7,000 colleges, universities and trade schools nationwide to determine which institutions offer the best education, value and support for veterans and military students. The annual list recognizes the top 20 percent as Military Friendly Schools.

The ranking is based on a survey that examines an institution’s Veterans Administration’s approval of GI Bill benefits, College Level Exam Program (CLEP) acceptance, credit for military service, reserve and guard policies, access to flexible learning options, veteran programs, veteran student composition and assets dedicated to recruiting military students, as well as other criteria.

The College’s commitment to providing support services to its more than 350 student veterans is part of its overarching Student Success Initiative. The initiative focuses on expanding access to higher education and increasing student success by implementing process improvements and support strategies that reduce the barriers for students to complete their education.

“In recent years we have become aware of the increasing need to focus student support services on the needs of our growing veteran student population,” said Dr. Steady Moono, Vice President of Student Affairs. “Many of these students have served multiple tours of duty in an active war zone. We recognize that re-integration to civilian life may bring special challenges that could compromise academic performance.  To be truly effective, support services for veteran students must be comprehensive, multi-faceted, and responsive to emerging needs, and a range of resources is necessary to support their academic and career success.”

College President Dr. Karen A. Stout presents Veterans Academic Advisor George Pannebaker, Psychology Assistant Professor Dr. Ann Marie Donohue, Coordinator of Accelerated and Off Campus Programs Mary Beth Bryers and Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Steady Moono with the Military Friendly School award. Representative Tom Murt and 2011 graduate and student veteran David Diaz joined the celebration. Photo by Nancy Tirrell Paravano

For more information about support and services for veterans at Montgomery County Community College, contact George Pannebaker at 215-619-7307 or gpanneba@mc3.edu.

To find out whether your military training or experience qualifies for academic credit, contact Mary Beth Bryers, Coordinator of Accelerated and Off-Campus Programs, at 215-641-6319 or mbryers@mc3.edu.

Central Campus Certified as CLEP Test Site

by Diane VanDyke

The College’s Central Campus in Blue Bell recently became a certified test site for the College-Level Examination Program® for any college students, including students who may attend out-of-state schools.

CLEP is a credit-by-examination program that provides students the opportunity to earn college credit by achieving qualifying scores on exams. CLEP exams are administered via computer at Montgomery County Community College, which is an approved site because it meets certain criteria including designated space, proctoring, test security and the availability of a computer based-testing system.

Montgomery County Community College offers exams in 33 subjects, including Biology, Spanish and College Algebra. Students may prepare to take CLEP exams using the CLEP Official Study Guide, which includes sample test questions, test-taking tips and study resources. Individual subject guides are also available online at http://store.collegeboard.com/.

The cost for each CLEP exam is $77, together with an administrative fee of $25, for a total of $102 per exam. The College’s testing hours are 8:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. The last time for testing on Fridays is 2:30 p.m. Saturday testing times are 9 and 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Testing is scheduled by appointment only.

CLEP helps students in a variety of ways. By taking CLEP exams, students can earn 3 to 12 college credits, depending upon a college’s policy, thus saving time and money. Students can test out of introductory courses and get started with more advanced courses or explore different academic opportunities.

This credit-by-exam program is beneficial to veterans and military personnel, who may proceed more quickly in their degree programs by testing out of some courses based upon their acquired knowledge and special interests. Eligible veterans may be reimbursed for the exam and administration fees under the provisions of the Veterans’ Benefits Improvement Act of 2004. The Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support funds the CLEP exam fees for eligible military members and civilian employees.

Nearly 3,000 colleges and universities grant credit or advanced standing based upon CLEP exam results. However, each college has its own CLEP policy regarding acceptance of the exams and the amount of credits awarded.

Veterans Conference Addresses Transition from Combat to Civilian Life

by Diane VanDyke

Montgomery County Community College is hosting a conference, “Pathways Home—Supporting Veterans in Transition from Combat to Civilian Life,” on Friday, Sept. 24, from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the Central Campus Science Center in Blue Bell.

This free conference is designed for professionals in social work, education, health care and other social services, as well as for veterans and their family members and friends.

“The focus is not only on veterans but on us as a community and how we understand and support them,” said Dr. Ann Marie Donohue, Assistant Professor of Psychology at the College and one of the key organizers of the event. “We hope to increase awareness of the transition from combat to civilian life. There is a lot we can learn from them, and they deserve our support, understanding and appreciation.”

In recent years while teaching classes, Dr. Donohue noticed an increase in veteran students returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and how they dealt with the transition from military to civilian life. In collaboration with local business leaders, Ella Roush and Dr. Glen Miller, Dr. Donohue created the conference, which is being funded by Exelon Transmission Company and a grant through the U.S. Department of Defense.

“We are proud to participate in the Veterans Conference because the program aims to help the men and women who have already done so much for our country,” said Ron DeGregorio, COO, Exelon Transmission Company. “By giving veterans access to these important social services, we help create a pathway to success and hopefully smooth their transition back into civilian life.”

The conference will increase the community’s awareness and offer invaluable information to provide understanding and support through its presentation and corresponding workshops.

“This conference aims to equip our community to walk alongside our returning veterans as they move back into civilian life,” said Ella Roush, Principal of Roush Associates LLC, Telford. “Whether we agree with the war or not, veterans and their families have sacrificed much, and we need to come together to support them.”

“We chose the title ‘Pathways Home’ for several reasons,” said Dr. Glen Miller, a former U.S. Army Ranger and volunteer for this program. “Most importantly, we feel that transition of any sort is a two-way street or path. The learning path, of course, will help all become more aware and actively conscious of the full price a community pays when some of its citizens become warriors.”

The program’s keynote speaker is Dr. Edward Tick, author of “War and the Soul:  Healing our Nations Veterans from PTSD” and founder of Soldier’s Heart, an organization providing services to veterans, their families and their communities. He is a psychotherapist, author and educator, and has worked with combat veterans since 1979.

Following the keynote presentation, a series of free workshops are available for all participants. Dr. Tick will be conducting, “Creating Community Support for Veterans,” in which he addresses the combat experience, effective strategies to support the successful return of veterans and what can be learned from those who have served.

In the workshop, “Establishing Helping Relationships with Veterans,” Dr. Tick will offer practical ways to establish effective educational and therapeutic relationships with veterans wherever they are in their transition process.

The workshop, “The Stress of War on Military Families, Dr. Will Barnes, Chaplain and Colonel in the National Guard and Director of Operation Home and Healing of Council for Relationships,” will describe the family’s role in the deployment cycle. He will further discuss ways for families to strengthen their readiness and resilience to deal with the member’s response to the stresses of war and reintegration.

In the workshop, “Women Veterans: Who Are We?,” Marsha Four, R.N., a Vietnam in-country veteran and current Executive Director of The Philadelphia Veterans Multi-Service and Education Center, will discuss the unique challenges faced by women as veterans, wives, mothers, daughters and co-workers.

For more information about this conference, contact Dr. Ann Marie Donohue at 215-641-6424 or adonohue@mc3.edu.  To register for the free workshops, visit www.mc3.edu and click on the Events tab.