EAST STROUDSBURG -- College students, who are also part of the military, now have a place to call their own at East Stroudsburg University.
A new student veterans center on campus celebrated its grand opening Tuesday.
It's been open since January and designed to help student veterans and students who are active military transition into college life.
If you visit East Stroudsburg University, you may see some students dressed in their military uniforms. About 100 students at the college are either veterans or active military.
Up until this year, these students, who fight for our freedom, had no place to call their own.
"It's important to have a club for veterans or a place for them to go so that they can meet each other. When I first came here, I only knew one person who was in the army. And he's gone now," said Army National Guardsman Jared Shubert.
Shubert is a junior at ESU and also works with the new Student Veterans Center.
"It's pretty much just a place for veterans to meet and socialize as well as get work done," said Shubert.
The new Student Veterans Center is a one-stop shop for veterans, children of veterans and active military members, like Shubert. It's a place where they can come and get help with GI benefits, transcripts and other issues as they transition into college life.
"When they come in here, I can help them with transfer credits they might have, I can help them with any admissions questions they may have, I help them get their benefits, I help them with financial aid," said June Pepe, the ESU Veterans Services Counselor.
"I'm very thankful that this center is open. It really gives us an opportunity to connect with other veterans and to have a place on campus to hang out," said Shubert.
A counselor also comes from the Veterans Administration Center in Scranton twice a month to aid veterans with readjustment counseling.