News Talk 1590 KVTA
Assistant Director Jay Derrico and student veteran Mike Biscoe live on the 1590 KVTA morning show discussing CSUCI's Veteran Resource Center and student veteran opportunities.
Veteran Grad’s mission is to aid fellow comrades
Edward Rodriguez
By Stephanie Villafuerte
When he was a senior in high school, Edward Rodriguez knew he wanted to take on something other than college. He wanted stories to tell his children, to honor a legacy, and to live among a community that he could call family. It wasn’t until he heard about his cousin’s experience that Rodriguez realized where that could be found: the U.S. Marine Corps.
“My older cousin had been in the Marine Corps at the beginning of the Iraq War and I remember always listening to his stories with such fascination,” Rodriguez said. “I wanted what he had.”
After graduation, the Santa Barbara native enlisted and was stationed in Twenty-Nine Palms, California. He served as an infantryman in Afghanistan in 2012 and later in Iraq in 2014. The veteran came out of his five-year service with comrades he considered brothers, and a completely new mindset.
“During my time overseas, I learned that our life, our show, could end in the blink of an eye and we have such a small role in it. I try to play my role as best as I can. I served with many great men and now honor the legacy of those who are gone.”
But the aftermath also left a heavy toll on Rodriguez. Several of his friends were suffering from PTSD, some of which resulted in suicide. The events led him to start a new chapter of his life. Namely, college.
“I wanted to see what might’ve led to their decision,” Rodriguez explained. “So, I decided to study psychology because I wanted to understand the human mind and how experiences such as war can affect us.”
The first-generation student attended Santa Barbara City College before transferring to CSUCI in 2019. Aside from wanting to be near his family, Rodriguez chose the campus because of the positive reviews he heard about its programs.
His experience exceeded his expectations. Psychology Lecturer Susan Beers taught Rodriguez to love the scientific method and objectivity, while History Professors Frank Barajas and Marie Francois taught him about his Mexican heritage and the pride it came with.
“I can honestly say that some of the faculty members I interacted with at CSUCI changed my entire outlook on life for the better,” Rodriguez said. “I owe these three individuals more than they may ever know.”
Rodriguez graduated in Spring 2021 with his bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a minor in History. He is now studying for his master’s degree in Sociology at CSU San Marcos.
The graduate wants to use his education to understand and help others. It’s a mission of his that has grown exponentially in the last year and a half, amidst the global pandemic.
“During quarantine, I worked at a shelter which housed individuals at high risk for COVID-19 due to pre-existing conditions or advanced age,” Rodriguez said. “I helped connect individuals with community resources, secure emergency funds, meals and other daily living necessities.”
Seeing how their lives were transformed by his assistance, Rodriguez made it his objective to help those in need.
And he gets one step closer to that goal every day. He currently works as an intern at Meals on Wheels in San Diego where his job is to deliver meals to clients and assist them in finding social services.
Once he receives his MSW, Rodriguez plans to obtain a license in clinical social work that he’ll use for employment in the Veterans Administration. He feels a duty to help veterans as they return to civilian life.
“We have a responsibility to one another that continues long after we have left the battlefield,” he said.
He would like to encourage others to enter the social work field: “If you ever experienced adversity in your life and like to help others, consider a career in social work because your unique experience, along with the proper training and education, can be of great use to others. The world needs more social workers."
Veterans Resource Center Helped Grad Thrive
Tina Secrease ’20 Communication Studies
By Pamela Dean
Before she attended CSUCI, Tina Secrease (’20 Communication Studies) spent 8 years serving in the U.S. Navy as a corpsman. She was stationed at Camp Pendleton, Miramar, Japan and Iraq.
“I am so grateful for my time in the Navy. The places, people and experiences I had are so special and meaningful to me. I know I would not be the woman, mom and person I am now without my military service,” Secrease said.
As a corpsman, she performed a wide array of medical and clerical duties, from administration work to hands-on medical care.
“I worked on a ship providing emergency triage and care to our soldiers as well as foreign civilians. I’ve worked in a women’s health clinic helping doctors perform annual exams and OB care, an urgent care clinic providing wound care, a primary care clinic for active-duty military as well as a primary care clinic performing check in and out procedures, immunizations, and assisting with minor inpatient medical procedures.” Secrease explained.
Secrease left the military in 2005 and became a stay-at-home mom and military wife. Following a divorce, she found herself and her three children briefly homeless. It was at this low point in her life that she decided to go to college and pursue a degree. CSUCI was the perfect place.
“I knew it was an amazing school for students like myself who craved a small classroom setting. I was intimidated by the thought of going to a CSU as a non-traditional student. CSUCI and its unique campus was what I was looking for.”
Secrease stayed mostly to herself during her first semester. But that all changed when she decided to tap into the resources offered by the University’s Veterans Resource Center.
“My second semester, I spent more time in the Veteran’s Center getting to know other veterans,” Secrease said. “I’m thankful for the people the center introduced me to, we still keep in touch. Eventually, I had the amazing opportunity to intern in the center assisting with outreach at local community colleges. This gave me the experience I needed to land my job as an outreach assistant at the Gary Sinise Foundation.”
Her professors helped her thrive as well.
“All of the professors in the Communication program are so helpful and passionate about their roles, it just makes our experience as students so incredible,” she said. “Dr. Traceylee Clarke and Dr. Megan Kenny Feister made the biggest impact on my journey. They taught us how to strive to be true leaders and how to make an impact in our communities. They gave us valuable and relevant opportunities for hands on experience while supporting us and taking the time to get to know each of us.”
Secrease loves her job at the Gary Sinise Foundation which assists veterans, first responders and their families who are in need or going through a difficult time.
“We aid those who have experienced trauma, illness, injury, or loss through our emotional and financial support programs,” Secrease explained. “I wanted to work for this particular organization because I was impressed by the life changing support they provide for the defenders of our nation. I knew that I wanted to work in service of others, and I wanted to work with veterans.”
In hopes of advancing her career, Secrease is currently pursuing her master’s degree in public administration at California Lutheran University. She plans on graduating in 2022.
“I am so incredibly thankful for the opportunities and relationships that CSUCI afforded me. As a student, as a student assistant working on campus, and as an intern in the Veterans Center, I met so many incredible people on campus from faculty to staff to fellow students,” she recalled. “I’m grateful for the relationships I made and the impact they had on my journey.”
Remarkable man overcomes huge obstacles to pursue career in business
Alexander Pimentel
KCLU | By Lance Orozco
Published May 21, 2021 at 12:56 PM PDT
(Article Courtesy KCLU)
This is a big week for college graduations on the Central and South Coasts. Every graduate has their own, unique story about their path to a diploma.
But, perhaps none is as incredible as that of soon to be Cal State Channel Islands graduate Alexander Pimentel.
He was stabbed and shot as a teen, critically wounded by a bomb blast during one of three tours in the Army in Afghanistan, and diagnosed with cancer years later. Oh, and by the way, he earned his degree at CSUCI while raising three kids as a single parent.
Pimentel grew up in Oxnard. He dropped out of Hueneme High School. He wasn’t in a gang, but says one day he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Pimentel says he was cornered by eight gang members, beaten, stabbed multiple times in the arm and neck, and then shot.
Incredibly, he survived and recovered.
A year later, Pimentel got some startling news from his girlfriend. She was pregnant. He says the news was a life changer. He had been working at a tire shop, but he decided that he needed to get serious about his life and a career so he could be a good father. The Oxnard man had dropped out of high school, but he went back and got his GED, and then enrolled at Oxnard College.
While in school, his life took another big twist. He met an Army recruiter, and enlisted. He was part of an Airborne unit. It was near the end of his second 15 month tour of duty in Afghanistan that disaster hit. Pimentel was leading a patrol back to base when he was targeted by an IED blast. He was thrown more than 25 feet away, and nearly killed by his multiple injuries. The soldier was showered with shrapnel, some of which is still in his body.
It took him a year to recover, but he convinced his superiors to let him to a third tour, telling them that his experience from two tours would help him save the lives of other soldiers.
He made it home safe from his third tour, only to face a new threat. He was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Pimentel says it was the scariest threat he had ever faces. he says he knew how to defend himself about people trying to kill him, but when it was his own body, he felt helpless. Fortunately, his cancer surgery was successful, and he’s now cancer free.
And, while he’s not superstitious, you can’t blame him if he was. The stabbing and shooting when he was a teen, the IED bombing in Afghanistan and, his cancer diagnosis all occurred on Friday the 13ths. He jokes that when there's a Friday the 13th on the calendar, he stays home and orders Uber Eats.
There’s one more complication. After getting divorced in 2017, he got full custody of his three kids, who are now 9, 13, and 16. Still, he returned to school, first getting his degree from Oxnard College, and then going on to Cal State Channel Islands, earning his degree in business.
Pimentel isn’t done. In less than two weeks, he’ll start at Villanova, using the Pennsylvania university’s online program. The 41-year OLD Oxnard man’s end goal is an MBA from USC’s Marshall School of Business, and a career managing supply logistics.
Pimentel’s life is a story of drive and determination, and while he hasn’t reached his final goal yet, getting his degree this weekend is a major milestone to celebrate.
Kyle Ball
The Veteran Resource Center has been a pivotal part of my success and enjoyment at CSU Channel Islands. The resources that were provided to all students, especially myself, helped me achieve so much more than I could’ve asked for being an older student going back to school.
I left the U.S. Coast Guard after 7 1/2 years and wanted to pursue my Environmental Science degree through CSU Channel Islands. I chose mostly because of the location, but I gained so much more. In between classes I would seek refuge in the Veterans Resource Center for coffee or great conversation between people that were in familiar shoes. It instantly felt like home. The whole staff is heartfelt especially Jay Derrico and Melanie, who played a big role for me at the center.
Eventually I found my feet and flocked with people from the Environmental Science department when I was comfortable. I always came back to the veteran center though, at least once a week to recenter myself. I eventually ran an Environmental Club on campus called Green Generation Club, and Jay always provided ways to be more successful and provided resources for my club. We eventually took over the Healing Garden together in a collaboration to help environmental students and veterans alike find a place of sanctuary.
The Veterans Resource Center also provided a way in for an internship program called the HLI, where they set me up with my choice of internship. This lead me to work for Ventura County Air Pollution Control District part time while I was still a student. I gained so much knowledge in an industry that I am passionate about.
Where I’m at today:
I graduated ESRM program Fall 2020 and got hired for ACTEnviro. They’re a passionate company about finding and delivering solutions that handle harmful wastes in the safest, most environmentally-friendly ways.
Kat Matte Cope
Kat Matte Cope is a veteran of the US Navy Seabees who attended CSU Channel Islands after moving around from duty station to duty station during her service and her husband’s service. She was able to commit to her education while her husband was stationed at Naval Base Ventura County. Kat attended during her junior and senior years, having taken courses throughout her military career prior to attending CSUCI.
Initially, it was difficult to relate to the students due to gaps in age and life experiences. There were no commonalities, it made it difficult to feel a part of the campus community. When Kat started using the Veterans Resource Center, it was solely to use the computers and the printer. But it soon became a place where she felt accepted and welcomed into the campus community, it felt like home. Kat ran into old friends from the Seabees and made new friends through her time in the Veteran’s Resource Center.
During Kat’s first year at CSU Channel Islands, she was encouraged to apply for an internship through the Henry “Hank” Lacayo Institute. She was awarded the internship with a local marketing firm in Oxnard, California. Unfortunately, the internship was not a good fit and she returned to campus for her studies. Kat was offered a position in the Veterans Resource Center for the rest of the semester, assisting Jay Derrico, Assistant Director of Veterans Affairs Programs, with providing assistance for students. She was instrumental in setting up the year-end medallion ceremony. Her life experience and can-do attitude was an asset, and Kat was retained to work the following year for the resource center.
Her ability to organize and smoothly run the medallion ceremony attracted the attention of the Career Development Department, and Kat was asked to plan and orchestrate an event for the Henry “Hank” Lacayo Institute. Kat’s experience provided her with the knowledge to produce and run the event without a hitch. It impressed the Career Development Department how hands-on she was during the process from start to finish. So much so, in fact, that she was again encouraged to apply for an internship with NAVFAC. Kat received the one-year internship and worked for NAVFAC at Point Mugu, CA. Kat’s experience as a Seabee was a valuable asset to her internship. She was able to network locally, which ultimately provided her a smooth transition into working for NAVFAC full time on the east coast.
Kat’s educational experience at CSU Channel Islands brought her full circle. She is currently attached to NAVFAC Atlantic in Norfolk, VA surveying facilities and planning construction projects for future naval platforms and weapons systems. She attributes a lot of her successes at CSU Channel Islands to the guidance she received from Jay Derrico and Amanda Carpenter, who asked her to plan and organize the Henry “Hank” Lacayo Institute event. Kat stresses that things may not always work out according to plan. You have to keep working through the process, give it your best, stay true to who you are, and you will land where you are meant to be.
Andrew Ayres
My adventure at California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI) started off late in my Navy career, I was told by my Command Master Chief (CMC) that the school was opening their doors to members of the military that were looking to further their education. In my case, I was within six months of retiring from the NAVY and the opportunity to finish my bachelor degree in a classroom environment was more suited to my learning than on an online platform.
Upon finding out that I had been selected to attend the university, I got in touch with the Veterans Resource Center and spoke with Mr. Jay Derrico. The Veteran Resource Center provides military members and children of military members access to computers and printers to do classroom assignments, an open space to relax and have a cup of coffee, or the ability to interact with people that have an understanding of certain situations that military members deal with. This is just what you see when you look around the center. Then there is Jay Derrico. He never served a day in the military, but you would not know this by the wealth of knowledge that he possesses, or by the guidance and mentoring that he provides to not only veterans but to all CSUCI students.
In my case, I was a forty-year-old freshman that had attended some online schooling while on active duty, I was leaving the military; retiring after a twenty-year career and I needed help transitioning from military life to civilian life. the Veterans Resource Center was there to help me transform from military member to civilian university student. That first semester was an eye opener to say the least. The resource center provided me with a job on campus that was paid via the VA (tax free) and appointed to me to a committee that helped veterans interact with civilian counterparts. I met many school officials, state representatives and community members that were all willing to assist military members. This was all through my relationship with the Veterans Resource Center. Meeting members of the community and being on the committee allowed me to complete my capstone project. I interned with Gold Coast Veterans Foundation, providing services to military members in the community. I gained so much knowledge and pride in myself for helping the community.
As far as my university experience, it was fun, and I learned new things. There were some things that I may not have agreed with, but I made the best of it. I came to the school to get a degree, and in December of 2015, I accomplished that goal with a Bachelor Degree in Business Communication. My experiences in the US NAVY afforded me the ability to find a job, but the Veterans Resource Center was a valuable asset to utilize during my time at CSUCI. It provided guidance and mentoring that has helped in all aspects of my life. I can’t say that any of this would have happened to me if I had not attended CSUCI. I can tell you that if it had not been for the resources provided through the Veterans Resource Center, it would not have gone as smoothly. It is a valuable asset to CSU Channel Islands and the students who access its resources.