Butler Hosts Veteran Student Services Providers Symposium 

Written by: Caleb Sanderson

Butler Community College proudly hosted the third annual Southeast Kansas Veterans Student Services Providers Symposium in mid-October. Butler welcomed 12 area colleges and their veteran support staff in hopes of providing improved services to military students. 

According to Amy Cyphers, Butler’s VA Benefits Coordinator and Butler Veterans Advisory Board (BVAB) Member, the symposium was designed for veteran services staff to explore, examine and evaluate collegiate efforts to better serve the veteran student population. This includes addressing common student concerns and actively seeking solutions to help the students overcome these issues.  

The symposium featured presentations and round table discussions to address and combat such issues. Shaurie Cudjo of the Wichita Regional VA Office presented on the PACT ACT of 2022, covering health care and benefits eligibility and toxic risk exposures veterans might have encountered. Melissa Hall of the Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center discussed reintegration challenges veterans face, ways to minimize risk factors, and how to boost protective factors. Cloyce Smith from Wichita Vet Center informed service staff about free resources, such as individual and group counseling, available for veterans and families. The Wichita Vet Center has previously visited campus in their mobile unit to provide services to Butler’s veteran students. 

“The symposium is a great way to inspire and motivate staff by showing or seeing what your school or other schools are doing and knowing it is possible for others to complete these service tasks at their own school,” Cyphers expressed. 

Cyphers also led a group discussion about services and events offered on Butler’s campuses and how to effectively comply with legislation regarding student veterans. The round table participants shared ideas on how best to continue serving these students. 

At Butler, the BVAB has multiple avenues it employes to help ensure Butler veterans succeed in attaining their goals. Butler actively supports and honors military students, including purchasing mental health support software through a grant awarded by the Butler Community College Foundation and yearly events and displays across Butler’s campuses. This semester, Butler is serving more than 230 military members and at least 170 of their dependents. 

Butler staff have taken Green Zone Advocacy training, a type of awareness training designed to highlight the experiences service members have in education and work settings. Butler has offered this important training to the college as a whole during professional development days in hopes of improving Butler’s college-wide service to military students. 

In efforts to acknowledge military students, BVAB holds a Veteran’s Day Ceremony each year in El Dorado or Andover. They also house various patriotic symbols around the campuses and, in remembrance of the victims and heroes of 911, position Patriotic Day flags at campus focal points. 

BVAB participates in Wreaths Across America, whose mission is to remember the fallen, honor those serving and to educate the nation’s youth on freedom. A Remembrance Tree is set up during the holidays with ornaments and tags meant to honor veterans. 

“Spotlight on Veterans” interviews are displayed on campus screens to recognize veteran college employees and students on Veterans Day. Additionally, military graduates are presented with honor cords at graduation time to highlight both their involvement with a service branch and Butler’s dedication to serving them. 

To extend their outreach beyond enrolled students, BVAB collects clothing and toiletry donations for homeless veterans as a participant in the Veterans Clothes Closet at Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center.  

Future goals of the BVAB include adding Remembrance Trees to the Andover campus and Butler Service Center locations, featuring military dependents in the “Spotlight on Veterans” interviews, and displaying MIA (Missing in Action) and POW (Prisoner of War) tables in the cafeterias at the El Dorado and Andover campuses. They also hope to implement veteran parking at both campuses. 

Below is the contact information for two Butler Community College Counselors, as well as the Board members for BVAB. Counseling staff may also be contacted at [email protected] 

Nancy Hamm, LSCSW 
Counselor 
316.322.3162 or 316.733.3162 from Wichita Metro area 
Office: BOE West Hall (1100 Building) 
[email protected] 

Steve Conrad, LSCSW 
Mental Health Counselor 
316.322.3164 
Office: BOA 5250F (college health and counseling office) 
[email protected] 

Current Butler Veterans Advisory Board Chair 

Erika Gestring, Director Butler of McConnell and Butler Service Center 

BVAB Board Members 

Kendall Bernstorf, Academic Advisor, Butler Service Center 

Nancy Daw, Student Accounts Assistant - Third Party Billing, Butler of Andover 

Ireland Turner, Director of Facilities, Butler of El Dorado 

William McCarthy, Professor Social Science, Butler of El Dorado 

Jon Craig, Associate Dean, Humanities, Social & Behavioral Science 

Larry Jesseph, Senior Maintenance Supervisor, Butler of El Dorado 

Nancy Hamm, Counselor, Butler of El Dorado 

Amy Cyphers, VA Benefits Coordinator, Butler of El Dorado