Veterans dressed in T-shirts, combat fatigues and medal-pinned Navy hats were among the dozens of people who gathered Tuesday morning at the University of Hawaii at Hilo for the blessing of the new Veteran Student Support Resource Center.
“Today is a proud and long-awaited moment for our student veterans,” said Ben Fuata, an Army veteran and department commander in the Veterans of Foreign Wars nonprofit who volunteers with the center. “This hub will connect student veterans directly to local and national businesses, state and federal agencies, and veterans service organizations, serving as a conduit to meaningful employment, apprenticeship, internship and long-term careers. In other words: where education meets opportunity.”
Though the center is simply a cozy room on the second floor of the Student Services Building that is vibrantly decorated with flags of every service branch, for veteran students of UH Hilo and Hawaii Community College, it is a gathering place filled with answers. The questions can be anything from how to access benefits to exploring alternative medical treatments for conditions related to service injuries, or a simple social gathering with fellow veterans.
The establishment of the center began with the Hawaii Island Veterans Club, a registered independent student organization that Navy veteran and UH Hilo student Josh Sze began in 2023. Speaking to the gathered crowd at the blessing, Sze expressed feeling a lack of support and guidance after his service ended as he faced medical conditions like leukemia and mental health challenges, in addition to questions about a professional career path.
“A lot of us, when we get out of the military, we struggle. That was why I was so motivated to start this club, to establish services on this campus, to establish a pipeline to fill in the gaps of care,” Sze told the crowd. “We can’t just be vets and suffer in silence like we were trained to do. We have to suffer out loud, because there’s so much power in your story.”
Sze told the Tribune-Herald that his club has grown from about 20 veterans to around 60 between the spring and fall semesters. Over the past two years, Sze has been working with leadership at the university and in the community to bring a level of veterans support to the campuses in Hilo, ultimately garnering the support of Mayor Kimo Alameda and U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda.
“I truly appreciate the fact that here at UH Hilo, they actually have a place to gather together,” Tokuda said of the center when she visited the week before the blessing. “The outreach they’re doing, the connections they’re making, the advocacy they have provided — this is going to make a huge difference.”
According to the UH Hilo Registrar’s Office, 108 students enrolled at UH Hilo in the fall were using VA benefits.
While volunteers like Fuata give their time to help guide veterans through the maze of accessing benefits, Sze said the center also will coordinate with trade unions to provide avenues for veterans to be connected to career opportunities and internships in fields like carpentry or electrical. The club and center also offer veterans a calendar of social gatherings to help offset depression or feelings of isolation.
“By creating this resource center, by creating the pipeline, there’s going to be ripple effects — on addiction, homelessness, food insecurity,” Sze said. “I believe all of that can be improved through community. Just having people who care.”
To learn more about the Veterans Student Services Resource Center and the Hawaii Island Veterans Club, contact Josh Sze at szejd@hawaii.edu.
Email Kyveli Diener at kdiener@hawaiitribune-herald.com.