Las Vegas City Wire

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas Military and Veteran Services Center (MVSC), ranked among the nation’s best, is celebrating its 10th anniversary.  

According to a news release shared by the university, the center was created in 2012 to guide veterans as they pursued a higher education, inform them of housing and other benefits and make their transition to campus life as familial as possible. In doing so, UNLV became one of the first universities in the nation to create a special service center for veterans.

“Every school now has someone processing benefits,” MVSC Executive Director and U.S. Army veteran Ross Bryant said.  “But what they don’t always have is a center staffed with veterans and military family members where you actually come into this office and feel like you’re part of a family.”

The center dates back to more humble beginnings in 2009 when known as the Student Veteran Organization. On a mission to help student veterans adjust to civilian life, it was guided by Robert Ackerman, Sally Casper and Liz Baldizan.

Besides school-based information, today's center offers other services such as mental health, mentorship and health insurance. It has partnered with organizations including Peer Advisors Veteran Education (PAVE), Rebel Vets Organization, VetSuccess and Veterans Integration to Academic Leadership (VITAL).

Frank Vizza, a Navy veteran and UNLV social work major, said that the school lives up to its goal of helping veterans succeed.

“I was looking for people I could relate to and make me better at what I plan to do," he said. "I had heard that UNLV was great for veterans, and as I was looking through schools, I noticed that. But honestly, I never expected it to be on the level it was, and it was overwhelming how awesome it is.”