ietnam veteran David Spencer, 51, served in the Navy for two and a half years and entered the Reserves after the end of the war.
Spencer is a husband, father and a retired General Motors employee.
And now, he is a student working on pre-algebra.
Spencer is one of many veterans in the Veterans Upward Bound program, which is a free program designed to help veterans with developmental courses to prepare them for college and vocational school.
Western has the only Veterans Upward Bound program in the state. The closest VUB program is at Austin Peay University in Clarksville, Tenn.
Spencer has been with the program for two months and has progressed from basic math to pre-algebra.
The Veterans Upward Bound program has been helping veterans prepare for post-secondary education nationally since 1972 and in the Warren County region since 1992.
Students in the program can learn math, reading, English, foreign languages, science, and computer skills as well as preparation for the GED exam, said VUB instructor Cassie Zippay.
The regional program has served 802 students, and 345 students have successfully completed the program.
The program is made possible through grants written by educators in the region who ask the federal government for funding, VUB director Randy Wilson said.
VUB accepts students any time of the year from Warren Country and 10 other surrounding counties.
The program puts students in touch with professors who help them chose a major. VUB also waives the Western application fee and helps students with their applications.
The average age of people in the program is about 40 to 45, Wilson said. He said the students who finish the program are much more focused on their schoolwork than younger students.
Zippay said the instructors provide a lot of encouragement for the students and focus on teaching as well as being personable.
“We get to know them extremely well,” she said.
Wilson agrees that being personable is important to the program.
“We pride ourselves on being informal,” he said. “The more friendly and less traditional we are, the more likely our students will succeed.”
Since the students are non-traditional, the learning environment in the program is different from typical classes.
“We try not to lecture all the time,” Wilson said.
The majority of the time is spent one on one with students, he said.
Warren County’s VUB program currently has many vacancies, Wilson said.
“We’re pushing really hard to get more people in the program,” he said.
Wilson said the best part about the program is that it’s free.
“It’s just a service – not a money-making program,” he said.
Martha Kenney, counselor and coordinator of VUB, said the participants display a wide range of ages and abilities.
“Many times, they feel as a non-traditional student that they aren’t going to fit in,” she said.
The VUB focuses on confidence-building, as well as academic exercises to help students recognize their strengths and weaknesses, Kenney said.
“We help them jump over hurdles,” she said.
The program gives awards for people who graduate, Wilson said. One of the honors is the Dare to Dream award, which is given to students who overcome obstacles such as learning disabilities and overcoming a lack of proper schooling.
Kenney said it is important to monitor students’ progress after they graduate.
Lyle Hensley, 62, has been in the program for two years. He said it is very helpful for veterans. He served in the Air Force for four years and the Air Reserves for eight years.
“It’s a very good program,” he said. “The instructors are good at what they do.”
He said the instructors do not pressure students and are helpful with different learning styles.
“Whatever the student needs, the program is prepared to help,” he said. “I highly recommend it to any veterans.”
The other instructors at the local VUB along with Zippay are Davy Stone and Marlys Garman.
Warren County’s VUB program was started regionally by Gary Gray, who worked for the Educational Talent Search Program.
The national head of the organization is Jim Kopecky from Weber College in Ogden, Utah.
Reach Alex Fontana at news@wkuherald.com.
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