A retired Navy captain and tactical helicopter pilot, 58-year-old Alex Sharp needed a place to land in hopes of getting an associate’s degree in accounting.
Sharp said he made an ideal choice in picking Front Range Community College. Sharp said he emailed both the head of the business department at the FRCC Longmont campus and the director of veteran and military affairs at the school.
Less than two days later, both men responded to Sharp with offers to help him get started with his education at Front Range. James (Randy) Raybeck “helped me through my VA benefits and what the school does to help vets,” Sharp said.
Jim Vernon, meanwhile, “went out of his way to help me pick the right business classes and the right curriculum to help me succeed,” Sharp said.
“Anytime I need to talk to either one of them, they are there for me,” said Sharp, who expects to graduate in December.
Sharp said he is not surprised Front Range has been awarded designation as a Military Friendly School, ranked No. 2 in the country in the large community college category, according to a Front Range news release.
The designation recognizes a school’s “commitment, effort and success in creating sustainable and meaningful benefit to the military community” — including active duty, guard, veterans and military spouses, the news release states. FRCC has also received the organization’s Military Spouse Friendly designation for 2021-2022.
Institutions earning the Military Friendly School designation are evaluated using both public data source and responses from a proprietary survey, the news release said. The review measures each school’s:
- Academic policies and compliance
- Admissions and orientation
- Culture and commitment
- Financial aid and assistance
- Graduation and career services
- Military student support and retention
FRCC exceeded the standards set in each category, the news release states in quoting Military Friendly.
“Each campus has a dedicated Veteran Services Advisory to assist veterans with their transition to college, both academically and socially, along with a dedicated School Certifying Officer to ensure that veterans benefits are properly awarded in a timely manner,” Military Friendly said.
This is the fourth consecutive year that FRCC has earned the Military Friendly School designation, the news release said.
FRCC President Andy Dorsey praised the Veteran Services staff — as well as faculty and employees — for their work in supporting veterans and spouses.
“We are committed to helping more veterans and active duty military secure rewarding careers and position themselves for successful futures,” Dorsey said in the news release.
Sharp said other veterans see Front Range as an ideal place to begin or continue their academic careers. He also said Front Range officials are smart to cater to veterans.
“These veterans are very serious students,” Sharp said. “After five or six years in the military, they know how important education is to their future.”
