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While existing research recognizes the importance of transitions in military members' lives, there are few, and to my knowledge no micro-level discourse analytic, studies illuminating how military veterans talk about their transitions into and out of the military. Taking an interactional sociolinguistic approach (Gumperz, 1977, 2015), I examine narratives told in interviews by seven student veterans enrolled in an elite liberal arts university about their life decisions, transitions, and community. I employ positioning theory (Davies & Harre, 1990; van Langenhove & Harre, 1999a) and intertextuality (Kristeva, 1986) and conceptualize the storylines that tellers construct as theories of causation (following Tannen, 2008) that intertextually appeal to master narratives--i.e., culturally and ideologically defined scripts. I identify a multiplicity of storylines and master narratives that emerge in how tellers use specific linguistic strategies, including discourse markers (e.g., Schiffrin, 1987), involvement strategies (Tannen, 2007), negation (e.g., Labov, 1972; Norrick, 2018), paralinguistic cues (e.g., Gumperz, 1982), and pronouns (e.g., Brown & Gilman, 1960). First, my analysis of decision-making narratives regarding military enlistment elucidates how the participants construct various storylines that appeal to master narratives (such as "family-legacy" and "call-to-service"), demonstrate epistemic access (such as to the military, vocational schools, and college), and construct agentive identity. Second, I examine participants' narratives about college application and acceptance, understanding these as discourse units of their life stories (following Linde, 1993). I demonstrate how tellers achieve coherence through the evocation of master narratives, including "military-skills" (among others). Third, I draw on the notion of community of practice (Eckert & McConnell-Ginet, 1992; Lave & Wenger, 1991) and the idea that such communities can be "imagined" (Cochrane, 2017) to reveal how master narratives, and the storylines that evoke them, capture expectations about the social practices that constitute institutions and environments. Specifically, I show how narrators position themselves as students in their new learning environment and intertextually draw on their previous learning experiences. In addition to contributing to our understanding of decision-making, transition, and community narratives of student veterans, this study lends insight into what constitutes a master narrative and how these are evoked in discourse to construct coherence and meaning. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Determining how female Marines currently pursuing a degree in higher education perceive their journey and experiences can provide valuable information for those contemplating pursuing higher education. Additionally, these perceptions can inform the need for modifications to policies at supporting organizations and educational institutions that are in place to assist in the process. The purpose of this study is to describe the perceptions and experiences of nondegree holding enlisted Marine active-duty women student veterans who are pursuing a degree in higher education. Individual interview transcripts and Marine Corps educational documents were analyzed and interpreted to describe the meaning and understanding that non-degree holding enlisted Marine active-duty women student veterans assign to their experiences in higher education. Results indicated that enlisted Marine active-duty women student veterans perceive value in obtaining a higher education degree due to the increased ability to find another career, as well as positive outcome expectations such as rewards, pride, or benefits. Experiences before the Marine Corps and during their current career developed personal characteristics that would benefit them, such as self-sufficient behaviors, confidence, resilience, and life skills. Results also indicated that their desire to carry their weight within the unit became detrimental because pursuing higher education appeared selfish when others had to assume their duties in their absence. The value an organization places on education and the pursuit of education by its members was recognized as important to that pursuit and must resonate with its most junior members. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

There is a need for ongoing study of veterans' academic progress (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2012). Student-veterans are the least engaged group on campuses (McNair & Stielow, 2012). Integration methods and rational choice methods of student-veteran engagement, used together, lead to academic progress during and after military tours of duty. The research question guiding this study asked which factors of engagement impact academic progress for student-veterans. This was a correlational study designed to examine which aspects of rational choice (Downs, 1957) and integration (Tinto, 1975) predict academic progress for students who are also veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, or Operation New Dawn. A correlational design was used to analyze the relationship between engagement and academic progress in a self-selected sample of 40 undergraduate students who were veterans of these operations. Engagement was operationally defined as a student's quality of satisfaction, socialization, goals, persistence, and acceptance with school and school-related activities that enhance academic progress (Alrashidi et al., 2016). There were moderate positive relationships between educational engagement and the variables of goals, persistence, social environment, acceptance, and satisfaction. The findings were that there were no relationships between the variables of goals, persistence, social environment, acceptance, and satisfaction and accumulated academic credits. However, there were significant relationships linking persistence and acceptance to GPA. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The problem addressed through this study is the low graduation rate of military-connected students who received benefits from military funding programs (FMCSs) at a community college in the northeastern United States (CCNE). Increasing the graduation rate will prepare more FMCSs for gainful employment and their transition into civilian life. The purpose of this quantitative study was to measure the effects of the nontraditional predictors, age, gender, and ethnicity on completing a 2-year associate degree within 6 years for FMCSs. The research questions determined whether nontraditional predictors for success were the same for FMCSs. Knowles's theory of andragogy provided the framework for this study because it identifies foundational assumptions for adult learning. Deidentified secondary data from all FMCSs enrolled in an associate degree program at CCNE in September 2013 were used. The logistic regression model results showed no statistical significance, X[superscript 2](5) = 1.19, p = 0.88, meaning that age, gender, and ethnicity were not significant predictors for FMCSs. These results imply that FMCSs are a unique group and led to a policy paper that includes recommendations based on FMCSs' differences from other students. The recommendations include professional development focused on creating a safe and inclusive learning environment, a military-connected student orientation, an interdepartmental research committee, and the recruitment of FMCSs older than 25 years. Implementing a new policy based on these recommendations could potentially affect FMCS's academic success resulting in positive social change. This policy paper can be used as a template at the local site and other community colleges to address educational issues of other unique groups resulting in long-term positive social change. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how women veterans view the role of resilience in their ability to overcome barriers while earning a bachelor's degree at a four-year higher education institution. The theoretical foundation included Resilience Theory and the second model was Bean and Metzner's nontraditional undergraduate student attrition. Data sources included semi-structured interview questions via Zoom videoconferencing and a Resilience Scale which were analyzed through thematic analysis using open coding. Seven themes emerged from the themes answering the research questions: Resilience equated to no barriers, the role of resilience helped in overcoming family barriers, the role of resilience helped in overcoming financial barriers, the role of resilience helped in aiding in support systems, the role of resilience helped in aiding in support systems, ways in which resilience aided in developing coping mechanisms and overcoming barriers, and resilience helped in military skills learned that enhanced participants' employment. A practical implication in the results of this study was that women veterans who participated in the study appeared to be highly resilient despite challenges they faced while earning their bachelor's degrees. With the results of this study, individuals should be able to take some of the lessons observed from women student veterans and transfer those lessons to other similar populations, for example, male veterans or other nontraditional women students and perhaps even some younger women populations. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The position of a school certifying official at higher education institutions across the nation may be found within various departments and may hold a variety of responsibilities. The guidelines handed down by the Department of Veteran Affairs often require school certifying officials to spread across departmental boundaries to ensure they can complete their work. Although previous research has considered ways to serve the veteran and military student best, no research has yet discussed what impact the placement of an individual with the responsibility of serving the veteran student population may have on this individual's satisfaction and commitment. This research surveyed school certifying officials to determine the impact their location and boundary-spanning duties have on their satisfaction and commitment; role overload, knowledge acquisition, achievement motivation, or learning goal orientation served as mediating variables. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Transitioning into civilian life after military service is a challenging prospect. It can be difficult to find employment and maintain good mental health, and up to 70 percent of veterans experience homelessness or alcoholism. Upon discharge, many veterans pursue higher education as a way to reintegrate into civilian society. However, many studies have shown that veterans encounter multiple challenges during their attempt to reintegrate into civilian life, including anxiety, a lack of relevant skills, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other issues that may lead to communication and interaction challenges in the higher education environment. Student veterans also face challenges in the lack of common language and culture clashes due to differences between military and college culture. This study used a mixed-methods approach to examine the challenges military veterans face related to language use in civilian life. The data was collected from 149 student veterans who completed a questionnaire and 11 student veterans who participated in interviews. Detailed analysis of collected data showed that student veterans experienced some challenges in language use, especially when they initially enrolled in their courses, but they seemed to have overcome challenges after spending time in the university setting. The veterans who had prior college education before joining the military seemed to have a slight advantage, having had experience using the academic language. The study also explored how student veterans chose to share their veteran status with other people in their university community. The findings showed that they strongly identified with their veteran identity and was comfortable sharing their status with others, but they also sometimes were reluctant to share their military experience in details because they were afraid that their peers would not understand. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to identify patterns and experiences of Black or African American military veteran students as they maintained persistence towards completion of their degree. This design used the social cognitive theory, the self-efficacy theory, and the composite persistence model. Three research questions guided the study: (1) Which patterns exist or emerge when Black or African American military veteran students persist in remaining or enrolled at a university? (2) What are the positive and negative experiences that influenced an African American military veteran student to remain at or enrolled at a university? (3) What supports or preparation will help with military veterans' degree completion? The interviews examined lived experiences of three Black or African American military veterans in an online or traditional environment. The researcher conducted audio-taped, one-on-one (Zoom) interviews. Data collection consisted of a semi-structured interview protocol, a demographic questionnaire, and field notes. The researcher transcribed interviews using Temi.com (online audio to text automatic transcription service and application with encryption and advanced speech recognition software). Computer software served to extend thinking and creative innovation (Marshall & Rossman, 2016). Member checking and peer debriefing ensured transferability, credibility, trustworthiness, reliability, and accuracy of data. The researcher utilized NVivo 12 software for word clusters, pattern development, and thematic development to discover similarities or contrasts in the literature reviews (Creswell & Poth, 2018). The researcher's literature review identified factors inherent to veterans successfully implementing strategies used to attain their goals. Literature searches and web research linked (a) cognitive development, (b) self-efficacy, (c) persistence of military veterans, and (d) lived experiences of Black or African American military veterans as essential in consideration of factors that may influence behavior. The findings revealed participants' self-efficacy in working in cohorts and with former student classmates, building relationships with faculty, learning by observing successful instances of goal attainment, and the propensity to overcome challenges related to family and unique to military veterans. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

A large percentage of women veteran students at a local 4-year university are transitioning from active duty to the role of adult learner on a college campus, and some have overcome barriers, such as inadequate childcare, lack of transportation, and financial aid issues and completed their educational goals. Unfortunately, some women veterans are not successful. The purpose of this study was to identify methods that self-identified women veteran students at the local study site use to successfully meet their educational goals. Adult transition and transformative learning theory are the conceptual frameworks for this study. A qualitative study collecting semistructured interview data was conducted, targeting 10 participants from a local site. Data were collected through the interview process and transcribed; major themes and categories were developed by exploring majority common responses to the interview questions. The study findings revealed several recurring themes: (a) facing challenges during transition from active duty, (b) believing in self-success, (c) having pride in serving one's country, (d) self-identifying as a veteran, (e) meeting the needs of women veterans, (f) adjusting as an adult learner, and (g) gaining access to services through Student Veterans of America. The project was a position paper that addressed why women veterans successfully transitioned to adult learner based on the research. The findings may sway social change by showing women veterans the support that is necessary for a successful transition and enable them to reap some of the the benefits of getting their degree, such as increased employment opportunities. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how female veterans who have successfully graduated from a higher education institution describe the challenges encountered and the factors which helped them complete their college degrees across the United States. For this study, the theoretical framework was Schlossberg's adult transition theory and Kegan's cognitive developmental theory. These two theories provided the foundation for this study to understand how female veterans overcame the challenges they encountered and the factors which helped them successfully achieve their college degrees. The two research questions that guided the study were: How do female veterans describe the challenges encountered to complete their degrees? And how do female veterans describe the factors which helped them complete their college degrees? The sample for this study was self-identified female veterans, honorably discharged from the U.S. armed services, had completed their college degrees using their GI Bill, and currently live in the United States. This study used a qualitative methodology and a descriptive design and presented an in-depth description of the challenges encountered and the factors which helped female veterans successfully complete their college degrees. Data collection was comprised of an online questionnaire and semi-structured one-on-one interviews. Thematic analysis was included in data analysis with the use of codes based on the theoretical framework. Results demonstrated that strong supportive services, relationships, self-awareness, and strategies were most beneficial to the female veterans. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Over the years, the Servicemen's Readjustment Act (1944) and subsequent funding legislation has enabled vast numbers of American military service members and veterans to attend colleges and universities (Osborne, 2014). For institutions that experienced declines in traditional age students due to changing demographics, Post 9/11 veterans are an attractive enrollment target because of guaranteed government funding. Veterans are particularly appealing to private, online institutions as a viable revenue stream. We know that student veterans share many of the same attributes of nontraditional students (Navarre Cleary, M., & Wozniak, K., 2013) but often do not perform as well as their nonveteran counterparts in the areas of academic performance, retention and in bachelor's degree completion (Cate, Lyon, Schmeling, & Bogue, 2017; Durdella & Kim, 2012). While the amount of research into veteran transitions has increased in the past 10 years, previous studies have often focused on the provision of veteran services or on the mental and physical health issues of combat veterans. Little has been revealed about the lived college experience of Post 9/11 veterans and the difficulties they encounter. Although it has been established that student veterans tend to default to avoidance coping strategies (Romero, Riggs, & Ruggero, 2015), data about the effectiveness of their coping choices and the repercussions on their persistence in college is lacking. More research on veteran college transitions is needed, so this study seeks to address a critical gap in the literature. The purpose of this phenomenological study is to examine the lived experiences, academic challenges, and the coping strategies of Post 9/11 student veterans at a large, Midwestern university. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Military veterans make up a growing proportion of students attending community colleges. Current research shows that some veterans do not transition easily from the service into a higher education setting. One possible reason for this is that the military purposefully creates and sustains its service members' culture. This culture can be retained after separation from military service, making it difficult to understand, accept, and otherwise transition to the culture of higher education and other civilian contexts. These struggles include personal and institutional issues that student veterans must adjust to complete their post-secondary pursuits. Therefore, this dissertation will focus on Marine culture and the effects when transitioning to IHLs. It will focus on enlisted members of the U.S Marine Corps, as this branch is the smallest force but instills a deep sense of history and culture into its troops. These findings can then be extrapolated to the other branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. Purposeful elitism evidences the strength and pervasiveness of the Marine culture. While the purpose of military culture is not meant to interfere with a service member's transition, literature shows that veterans have issues, such as personal and institutional problems, when separating from the military. The study of the U.S Marine Corps culture is relevant to this research on how military culture affects an individual. The pervasiveness of this idea of superiority and excellence is reinforced throughout a Marine's career via their consistent indoctrination, suggesting the Marines have a firmly and purposefully embedded culture. However, the Marines' common saying is "Once a Marine, always a Marine." This saying has been in use since 1907 and has several potential origins. Despite its murky beginnings, it remains a persistent saying in the Marines. With this saying in mind, it could be argued that the Marines are encultured to live their lives by Marine Corps values (honor, courage, and commitment) for the remainder of their lives. The Marine Corps' influence on its service members is an important aspect that should not be overlooked. The sheer effort that the U.S Marine Corps puts into consistently training their Marines and reinforcing the expectation of excellence at all times illustrates that this branch of the military has a more pervasive culture than the remainder of the U.S military - which is not to say that the other branches are lacking in power or prestige. By studying the underpinning of the Marine Corps culture, insights from this study can then be extrapolated to examine the effects of this training on all veterans when transitioning to civilian life, both positive and negative. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Within a decade following World War II, more than two million veterans attended college through the use of the GI Bill, with an additional almost 5.5 million taking advantage of vocational training (Mettler, 2005). Now, over fifty years later, "Only one in ten veterans using GI Bill benefits enrolls in institutions with graduation rates above 70 percent, while approximately one in three veterans using GI Bill benefits attends a for-profit institution" (Bond Hill et. al, 2019). During that time, the armed forces has consistently had Black adults enlist at the rate comparable if not disproportionate to their population percentage, despite recent down trends in enlistment (Segal & Segal, 2005). Through aforementioned opportunities like the GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon Funds, this dissertation aims to examine how Black youth and veterans are able or unable to reach their educational goals based on legislation, resources provided by the military, and anti-Blackness. Previous research studying the effectiveness of the GI Bill, recruitment efforts, and the integration of the armed forces into K-12/ post-secondary education, guides my methodology. As such, I utilize a mixed methods approach to collect oral histories as well as Geographical Information Systems (GIS) open source data on college and university endowment, racial demographics at institutions of higher education, the locations of military bases and racialized violence, and related statistics to measure engagement between Black communities and the armed forces through an educational pipeline. The ultimate goal of this research project is to inform how educators, policymakers, Black veterans and youth recognize and respond to the influence of the armed forces in education to make choices that are well suited for future generations and not just those currently enlisted. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences and motivational factors that influenced educational and career decisions of United States military veterans who transitioned out of the military and into an information technology (IT)-related career field. The study investigated the reasons veterans decided to pursue IT-related careers, the reasons they selected their educational programs to gain entry into the field, how they described their experiences within those programs, and how satisfied they have been during the entry-level phase of their career. Veterans who served in IT-related career fields during their time in the military were not included in this study. This case study presents the perspectives of 12 veterans who successfully transitioned out of the military, completed one of several educational pathways, and attained their goal of working in an IT-related career field. Several findings emerged as a result. Veterans who participated in this study were satisfied with their decisions to pursue careers in the IT workforce. They approached career transitions from different situations, and those situations influenced the decisions they made and pathways they pursued to find success. The participants based their decisions to pursue their overarching goal of working in an IT-related career on internal or value-based motivations; however, when selecting an educational pathway to attain that goal, they deliberately considered the practicality of their circumstances. In addition, participants attributed part of their success to personal motivations, helpful strategies, and external support. Ultimately, future transitioning veterans can learn several lessons from these findings regarding career assessment and counseling, considerations for pathway selection, and elements of success. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The American GI Forum (AGIF) contains several programs and initiatives, with the significant focus being on supporting students. There is a need to better understand their needs as students so that the organization can better serve them. This study focused on the issues facing veteran students in higher education and the strategies that AGIF can adopt to better improve veteran students' experiences while in university. The primary theory that guided this study was the appreciative education framework because it offered the theoretical infrastructure for educational practice by advocating for an adaptable, transformational, and interactive framework and was applicable to guiding organizational efforts and individual interactions. Convenience sampling was used to recruit 25 veteran students as participants who had served in the military and were currently enrolled in a higher education program. The participants were interviewed and content analysis of their responses was used to capture their opinions and attitudes about the issues they face while in higher learning institutions. The findings indicated that some of the common challenges faced by veteran students in higher education system include post-traumatic stress disorder, financial issues or distress, gaps in higher education system, and lack of peer support and engagement. Based on these findings, it was recommended that the higher education system ensure the implementation of adequate programs and policies to support veteran students because they face multiple challenges while transitioning from military to civilian life. Through looking out all the given challenges, it explains the need for the administration to set the focus on the ways that they can prevent the occurrence of such challenges through the implementation of the adequate programs that can fully support the veterans. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Student support programs and services in the California Community Colleges lack historical context and documentation. This study provides historical context through document analysis as to the socio-cultural, educational, and financial influences that supported the implementation of student support services, EOPS, and Veteran services. Through a review of historical documents, the researcher was able to identify societal, financial, and educational influences that affected the establishment of these programs and services. The study's findings identified a significant influence on the establishment of the program was societal with an intersection with educational, financial, and socio-cultural influences which supported the implementation of services and programs. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The purpose of this study was to explore and hear the student military veterans' perceptions on what they felt was instrumental to their success in higher education. Previous studies investigated veterans' experiences but very little investigated what SMVs found helpful during their collegiate experience. This mixed methods research employed a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews to gather data relative to SMV's perceptions about their collegiate experiences. All participants were categorized as a DD-214. Although the questionnaire yielded a low response rate, the interviews provided context for those experiences. The findings revealed that the most crucial aspect of an SMV and their collegiate experience was the use of the higher educational institutional center for military veterans and families. This finding can help institutions of higher education conceptualize and situate their own veteran centers and related services. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The University of South Florida (USF) ranks as one of the top 50 public universities in the nation. As of Spring 2022, 14% of the student population identify as military-connected students (MCS). MCS comprises Active Duty, National Guard, Reserve, veteran or military dependents. Many student veterans choose not to embrace their veteran identity due to feeling unaccepted or viewed from a deficit mindset by faculty, staff, and other students. Veteran studies research identifies the significant influence faculty and staff possess when addressing MCS retention and graduation rates (Lim et al., 2018; Vacchi, 2012; Vacchi, 2018). USF's Office of Veteran Success (OVS) developed the Got Your Six (GY6) Workshop addressing cultural awareness as professional development for faculty and staff. This explanatory sequential mixed-methods study evaluates a redesigned military-connected student cultural competency workshop. The newly revised GY6 Workshop operated over the last year using the continuous improvement model of improvement science to elicit feedback from workshop participants to improve the GY6 Workshop. As a Scholarly Practitioner who attempts to solve problems in their practice (Perry, 2016), I chose to embrace an issue I faced during my academic journey and a problem the students I serve face daily. I also decided to write an alternative dissertation in a digital magazine format, providing greater accessibility to veteran studies, veteran research, and veteran affairs practitioners. Although my study is not generalizable and the program evaluation intends to inform USF and their OVS, others might find the alternative dissertation as inspiration to rethink dissertation formats to one with more significant applicability. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenology was to explore the academic interactions of online undergraduate veterans as they completed their degrees. The objective of this study was to answer the question, "What influences the success of online student veterans in completing their undergraduate degrees?" The theory guiding this study was Astin's I-E-O model as it framed my research with the inputs of military training, environmental factors as academic interactions, and the outcome of graduating with their degree. My study also contained Vacchi's Conceptual Model of Student Veteran Support as a focused lens to examine the academic interactions experiences of student veterans. Additionally, my study took a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to qualitative research while examining 13 student veterans who completed an online undergraduate degree. I conducted virtual interviews and focus groups, thus eliminating the need for a specific physical site. The data was collected through interviews and focus groups which was then transcribed and coded for common themes and meanings that relate back to the central research question. My research collected information that academic interactions were not meaningful in influencing success even with negative interactions of discrimination and bias. The data showed that student veterans were successful to internal and external stimulators as well as choosing an academic institution that had an infrastructure conducive to their success. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]