Pace University Unveils New Student Veterans Center

$200,000 State Grant through State Sen. Harckham’s Office Paves Way for Resource Center for Student Veterans

PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – September 21, 2020 – President Marvin Krislov joined New York State Senator Peter Harckham, student veterans and campus leaders on Monday for a grand opening of Pace University’s Student Veterans Center on its Pleasantville campus.

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The new center, which was made possible with the help of a $200,000 grant secured by Senator Harckham, will serve as a one-stop resource center for student veterans at Pace, which has hundreds of student veterans and dependents across its campuses, including 60 in Westchester. The new SVC is centrally located on campus inside the Kessel Student Center. Watch a video of the ribbon cutting here.

“Pace University has a proud tradition of supporting student veterans and their families, and this new Student Veterans Center, our first space dedicated exclusively to their needs, will help us deliver on that mission,” said President Krislov. “We are grateful to Senator Harckham for his support. He shares our firm belief that we must go above and beyond to serve those who have served our country.”

“The new Student Veterans Center at Pace University’s Pleasantville campus will be an important resource for the Pace veterans community, and I am pleased to have supported its creation from the start,” State Sen. Harckham added. “These days, more veterans of our Armed Services are pursuing postsecondary educations, and their needs differ somewhat from typical college students in terms of certain resources and socialization. Pace’s Veterans Center is a recognition of this shift in the student body, and will be met with wide appreciation as a result.”

The SVC will offer a central location on campus to connect, socialize and use the school's resources. Veterans, for example, will be able to obtain information on how to work with, and navigate, the VA, as well as the various educational benefits student veterans are entitled to including the Forever GI Bill, Post 9/11 GI Bill, Yellow Ribbon Program and Vocational Rehab.

“This is a dream come true,” said Steven Garcia, a USMC Veteran and Past President of the Student Veterans of America’s Pleasantville chapter. “Bringing veterans together at one central location will be great for the entire Pace community. This space will be essential in helping connect veterans with available resources at Pace and get them the support they need to be successful. I want to thank Senator Harckham and Pace for making this possible.” ​

“We are here today because like many others, Senator Harckham recognizes and believes in the importance of community building,” said Sukh Singh, a USMC Veteran and member of Pace University’s Class of 2021. “The SVA has put in countless hours to receive more recognition in our community. So, this is a crucial milestone for Pace’s student veterans who finally have a space to grow and support one another in their pursuits of higher education.”

Senator Harckham last year joined student veterans and university leaders to announce the project. Construction on the new Student Veterans Center began this past winter – delayed only slightly because of the pandemic -- and was completed over the summer.

“Student veterans contribute to the diversity and campus life here at Pace University,” said COL (Ret) Peter Riley, director of Pace Office of Veterans Services. “It is terrific that veterans have their own Center. It gives them a place to use the computers, study, relax, commiserate and support each other. We appreciate all the effort that Senator Harckham and his staff did to open the Veterans Center. COVID-19 might have delayed its opening, but could not prevent it.”

About Pace University

Pace University has a proud history of preparing its diverse student body for a lifetime of professional success as a result of its unique program that combines rigorous academics and real-world experiences. Pace is ranked the #1 private, four-year college in the nation for upward economic mobility by Harvard University’s Opportunity Insights, evidence of the transformative education the University provides. From its beginnings as an accounting school in 1906, Pace has grown to three campuses, enrolling 13,000 students in bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs in more than 150 majors and programs, across a range of disciplines: arts, sciences, business, health care, technology, law, education, and more. The university also has one of the most competitive performing arts programs in the country. Pace has a signature, newly renovated campus in New York City, located in the heart of vibrant Lower Manhattan, next to Wall Street and City Hall, and two campuses in Westchester County, New York: a 200-acre picturesque Pleasantville Campus and a Law School in White Plains. Follow us on Twitter or on our news website.