Gonzaga Earns Military-Friendly Designation for 2024-25
When Nick Brock (’25) retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2022 as a chief master sergeant, he was managing thousands of soldiers, equipment at 77 locations around the world and handling a $30 million annual budget.
As he considered life after active duty, Brock looked to Gonzaga University’s Leadership Studies program to expand on his experience.
“I thought, as an emerging leader, there must be more than formal military education to build my playbook,” Brock says. He researched GU’s Organizational Leadership (ORGL) program, and found the hybrid-immersion structure, flexible online learning and relationships made on campus so enriching that he later applied and was accepted into the Leadership Studies doctoral program.
That supportive academic environment, access to veteran services and sense of community felt by Brock are all part of Gonzaga University’s ongoing efforts to support student veterans and members of the armed services.
Those efforts have once again earned the Silver Military Friendly School designation for 2023-24 from Viqtory, a service-disabled, veteran-owned business which evaluates thousands of schools annually to recognize institutions creating sustainable and meaningful education paths for the military community.
The complete list of Military-Friendly Schools can be found at MilitaryFriendly.com.
While Gonzaga has a deep history with the U.S. military through its Military Science and ROTC program that celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2023, there have been several developments in recent years to enhance the school’s relationship with the military community.
In 2023, Gonzaga established a partnership with the Pat Tillman Foundation to enhance Gonzaga’s ability to recruit and retain military members and veterans to its student body through the support services, financial aid and scholarships provided by the foundation. Gonzaga also launched its Military Service Community alumni group last year, an effort to unite and offer support to all members of the GU community who have served in the military, along with their families.
This winter, Gonzaga’s online master’s program for veteran nursing students ascended to the Top 20 in the U.S. News and World Report 2024 Best Online Programs rankings, a reflection of GU’s focus on supporting veteran students in the classroom.
“Our veterans bring such valuable and diverse experiences to the nursing profession, and we at Gonzaga are committed to creating educational opportunities that recognize these unique and important interests, insights and needs,” says Julie Wolter, dean of GU’s School of Health Sciences.