Military Vets Finding Help, Camaraderie at Veterans Resource Center

By Luciana Chavez Special to Merced College

U.S. Army veteran Michael Herrero was coming off the transport after the first mission of his first deployment with the 75th Ranger Regiment in Afghanistan in 2012.

The mission was difficult and dangerous. Everyone there was physically exhausted and emotionally drained.

And that’s when Herrero noticed two soldiers ahead of him. They had just put their arms around each other’s shoulders, a gesture of support and reassurance that said, “Hey, we survived.”

Herrero, a combat photographer, quickly grabbed his camera. As they all walked towards the rising sun—click, click—he captured a powerful moment of brotherhood. He caught the essence of what military personnel often miss when they re-enter civilian life.

So when vets do find a powerful connection again, maybe at a place like the 1 Lt. Peter J. Gallo Veterans Resource Center (VRC) at Merced College, it can unlock everything.

“Veterans can feel that school is so overwhelming, it becomes too easy to not try it,” Herrero said. “I attended other schools, but Merced College, by far, was an amazing campus for vets. I can’t say enough good things about it.”

Herrero’s job, during two deployments to Afghanistan and one to Iraq, was to capture the soldier’s experience as a Combat Document Production Specialist with the 55th Signal Company out of Ft. Meade in Maryland.

After six years of active duty, Herrero went home to Manteca in 2016. While doing electrical work at the Mainzer Theater four years ago, Herrero saw a lot to like about Merced, with its lively downtown and affordable homes. He and his wife Tenisha moved here with their two children.

Herrero, 35, enrolled at Merced College in Spring 2023 and graduated Spring 2025 with a B.S. in Business Administration. Now he’s doing the BA 2.0 transfer program, with an option in sports marketing, at Fresno State.

“I love it,” he said. “I know Merced College prepared me well.”

Herrero got comfortable at Merced College while leaning on the VRC staff—Student Support Coordinator Dustin Thompson, VRC & Equity Counselor Lacey Chavez, and Enrollment & Retention Specialist Grace Perez.

At Thompson’s behest, Herrero tackled the Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E) program to qualify for additional benefits. Then he was free to use the computers and printers, get help completing work applications, use the campus writing center, and so much more. He also got a work study job at the VRC to help others like him.

“Look, it’s so easy to give up when you’ve been through what we have in the military and are just trying to push through,” he said. “But then you go into the VRC and someone will ask, ‘What do you need help with?’ And whatever you say, they’ll say, ‘I can help.’ Everyone is the same there.”

Purpose, Patience and a Path

Nicholas Rommel is a Marine who also found his civilian purpose at the VRC.

While working as a stonemason for six years, he eventually grew dissatisfied on the job front. A friend, who was a Marine and like a younger brother to Rommel at that time, pushed him to enlist in 2017.

The Maryland native was stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego—he also met his wife Joslyn there— as a Fixed-Wing Aircraft Airframe Mechanic with Squadron VMGR-342.

When Rommel got out in 2022, the couple was looking for an affordable place to live and chose Merced. Again looking for direction, Rommel then chose Merced College.

He was scooped up quickly by the VRC crew, also using the VR&E program. It supports veterans like him, with service-connected disabilities, with career counseling, vocational rehabilitation, a laptop, textbook funds, and more.

“That did it for me, seeing the help available,” Rommel said. “I was not hyped for going back to school, but I needed it. I was nervous coming to campus and being around students younger than me. I have PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), but Merced College was so awesome. The second I met Dustin, knowing he was a Marine, too, it took away my anxiety. My wife was with me for that entire first meeting. She is awesome. If she didn’t help me through it, I could not have done any of this.”

The 31-year-old father of two young children earned an A.S. in Plant Science this past spring. He wants to be a high school ag teacher, so he will major in agriculture at Stanislaus State starting in January.

In addition to the VRC team, Rommel credited several faculty members who aided him on his journey.

“By the way, Steve Bell is awesome. Andy Codd is awesome. Elaine Valladao is awesome,” he said. “I talked to those professors all the time at the college and picked their brains. I never would have done that as a young person. And with my disability, sometimes I had to step out of class to calm myself. They understood and were more than willing to help.”

Enrollment, Success Rates on the Rise

Since a 2018 remodel of the VRC building, the veteran cohort at Merced College has grown from 131 in Fall 2019 to 191 in Fall 2025.

“It also tells us our outreach has been effective and that we have a strong reputation among veteran students,” Thompson said. “We know our veterans experience personalized support, smooth benefit processing, and staff who all understand what a veteran needs.”

After the COVID pandemic, the benefit certification rate for Merced College’s veterans dropped from 74.7% to 62.6%, which Thompson attributes to delayed paperwork, reduced benefit use, and VA processing delays. Merced College was back up to 75.9% this fall.

When benefit certification rates rise, you see a corresponding bump of students finishing degrees and certificates. This past spring, the course success rate among veteran students ranked near the top of all Merced College student populations at 82.1%.

“It shows the resilience, determination, and mission-oriented mindset of veteran students, and the college’s commitment to providing strong, equitable support for them from enrollment through completion,” Thompson said.

It seems it is much easier to face a daunting task with others who are doing the same.

“I never felt uncomfortable there,” Rommel added. “Anyone thinking about going to Merced College should go to Merced College. It’s the best decision I ever made.”