Kasich on campus: Vets are Ohio's golden employees

“If they can drive a truck in Afghanistan, they can drive a truck here,” Governor John Kasich said of veterans today at a 2 P.M. press conference in the Endeavor room.

Kasich is the 69^th Governor of Ohio and currently pushing a new program entitled Ohio Means Jobs.  Ohio is the number one producer of jobs in the Midwest, but veterans still find difficulty paying for higher education and reentering the work force after graduation

“I’m a believer that every person created has a purpose on this earth,” Kasich said to a room packed with military officials, university administrators, and interested students.  “We can begin to show our students what it takes to get one of those jobs and what they need to get there.”

Seth Gordon, the director of the WSU Veteran and Military Center, highlighted strategies that the university should employ to aid veterans. Several approaches included supporting our veterans by linking them with local employers, educating them on their G.I. benefits, and recreating the sense of brotherhood at WSU that they experienced whilst serving overseas.

“I consider Vets to be our golden employees,” Kasich said. “We want to give them success when they re-enter their civilian life.”

Tyler Thompson, 30, is a Rehabilitation Services major at WSU and a Mission Continues fellow.  Thompson served in both Iraq and Afghanistan in the Army.  After suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, he sought professional assistance and now studies to lend a hand to Veterans who suffer from similar mental turmoil after serving in the military.

Thompson now plans veteran-specific events and activities and hopes to begin the Battle Buddy Program for Veterans on campus.

Career development seems to be the phrase of the day.  Kasich seeks to develop a program that would produce success stories such as Thompson’s and countless others to make veterans an important part of Ohio’s economic recovery.