PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Indian River State College is doing what it can to make sure student veterans and military dependents are taken care of.
On Friday, the college will host a ribbon cutting ceremony for its new Veteran Center of Excellence, located at the college's Pruitt Campus in Port St. Lucie.
The 12,000 square foot space will be home to a special team of advisers and financial aid specialists prepared to help to help student vets enroll in classes and answer any questions about G.I. Bill benefits.
"I come in here," Robert Rodgers, student veteran. "Maybe sometimes it's not good for my mental health, because of my background, so I come in here and do homework. These guys are here, and we can kind of cut up and hang out and they kind of provide a break."
Inside the center is a new student lounge where students can hang out and meet other veterans.
It has ping pong tables, an Xbox, and plenty of places to study.
Campus president Andrew Treadwell said the center is being made possible by a $450,000 grant from the Department of Education.
The college is bringing in a 75 foot US Army semi truck with the latest stem technology for the ribbon cutting ceremony scheduled for 10 a.m.
"We're going to have the AS7," said Treadwell. "It's a United State Army asset that's going to be out in our parking lot. A 75-foot semi that will be here, available for walk through and interactive tours, and it's the STEM vehicle. So, it comes down from Fort Knox. It's going to be here. It has the latest STEM technology that's being deployed in the field by the U.S. Army and we think that will be neat for our community to see."
Recruiters and veteran service organizations will have offices inside the center.
Friday's ribbon cutting is free to attend and open to the public.