Featured Photo by Nate Tiuseco
Story by Stephanie Hall
On the first floor of the Keathley University Center, past the mail center and the PO boxes, sits the MTSU Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center. Many have probably never noticed it or even gone inside. But for the many student veterans they help, it’s their home base on campus.
The center does everything, from providing snacks for students as they are passing through to tutoring to helping with the GI Bill.
Many student veterans are a part of the GI Bill, which is a government program designed to help veterans attend college. The bill covers tuition and a small stipend for living expenses. The Daniels Center helps veterans with the GI Bill, answering any questions they might have.
Along with this, they also make sure to show appreciation to these veterans. This includes going onto the field for the Veterans Football game, and every graduating class receives stoles to wear to graduation.
On Dec. 14, in the Miller Education Center, the Veteran Class of Fall 2023 will be receiving their stoles. They will then wear them two days later at graduation, before moving on into their careers.
Student veteran Nate Tiuseco, will be graduating this December with a degree in Mass Communication with a focus in Photography. For him, the Daniels Center has been a great help to him the past few years, including get him involved with the organization Waypoint Veterans.
Tiuseco joined the military in 1995 and served for a little over 20 years. He was able to be put on embassy duty, where he was specially trained to protect important personnel and classified information, along with responding to bomb threats, natural disasters and other emergencies.
“Mainly, I was stationed at Cherry Point, North Carolina. I did serve four years with the Navy in Oak Harbor in Washington. I was able to get on Embassy duty in Russia and Oman and on top of that, I did 7 combat tours,” Tiuseco said.
Tiuseco retired from the military in 2016 and stayed in North Carolina near the Cherry Point base. Like many veterans after retirement, he found himself unsure of what to do with his new civilian life.
“I didn’t have any direction or drive to go anywhere because in the military they were always telling you what to do. So, you knew what you were going to do next, you got the job done and on to the next thing. Two years, I basically twiddled my thumbs,” Tiuseco said.
He then moved to Murfreesboro in 2018 at the suggestion of a friend, which is then where he learned about Middle Tennessee State University. He decided to attend MTSU on the GI Bill and focus his education around his love for photography.
Of course, attending college as a non-traditional student can be tough, especially transitioning from the military into civilian and university life.
“It’s been a challenge, because of the generation gap and not having been in school forever,” Tiuseco said. “But because of places like the Daniels Center and benefits provided by the GI Bill, I was able to focus on the schoolwork.”
With the GI Bill and some budgetting, Tiuseco never had to get a part-time job while also attending school. With the Daniels Center, he was able to receive tutoring as well as gathering information on jobs and veteran affairs.
“If I had issues, I would come in here [Daniels Center] to get extra tutoring or help. Any question I came up with, whether it was school related or VA related, they have been able to help out or point out where I could go get assistance,” said Tiuseco.
While the Daniels Center can be a bit of a hidden gem, if one takes the time to stop by they will see many student veterans working homework or having lunch. There is a large sense of community among the veterans and staff.
“This is like a secret spot. I’ve come across other veterans in other classes that have never been here,” Tiuseco said. “There are veterans like me who are regulars, that always come in here. It’s just a different community in here.”
While many student veterans like Tiuseco will be graduating in the next week, the Daniels Center will still hold a special place in their heart as they move onto to the next chapter in their life.
To contact Lifestyles Editor Destiny Mizell, email [email protected]. For more news, visit www.mtsusidelines.com, or follow us on Facebook at MTSU Sidelines or on X at @MTSUSidelines.
