“You go from having a sense of purpose every day to … just being a college student,” he said.

But, the transition might get easier for Massoll and the about 300 other former servicemen and women at MSU. For the third year in a row, the Spartan Armed Forces Council and the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities, or RCPD, hosted the MSU Student Veterans and Service Members Welcome Reception on Wednesday night at Bessey Hall, providing information about on-campus resources.

“The goal is to help you have a successful transition to college,” said John Pedraza, the disability resource coordinator for employees, during the event, adding he sees about one student veteran every other week at his office.

Multiple university departments also had representatives at the event, including the Counseling Center, Family Resource Center and Office of Financial Aid.

Pedraza said the number of servicemen and women on campus is growing and his office aims to create a welcoming environment.

Tara Miller, a housing specialist with Residential and Hospitality Services, said she believes most returning student veterans do fairly well when placed in the right environment. Some residence halls cater to old er students, including Owen Graduate and Butterfield halls.

“I think because of their maturity level … they want to go into a more mature audience,” she said.
Massoll said he appreciated the event, but he recommended more campus resources cater to student veterans without families or young children. He also acknowledged the challenges that come with acclimating to campus life are nearly constant.

After seeing his friends die in battle, attending classes pales in comparison, he said.
“It’s a huge adjustment,” he said.