(Photo Courtesy of the National Association of the 10th Mountain Division)
GI Bill Covers Entrepreneurial, Business Management Training at COCC’s Small Business Development Center
A veterans education benefit program at the COCC Small Business Development Center — the first of its kind in the state of Oregon — enables eligible vets and service members to enroll in educational programming using GI Bill assistance.
Approved by the Oregon State Approving Agency, this benefit certification opens doors of opportunity for veterans throughout Central Oregon, funding access to non-credit business classes, entrepreneurial workshops and an immersive Small Business Management Program.
From condensed digital marketing courses to upper-management decision-making training, discover the non-credit education options covered by the GI Bill and put your innovation into action.
Veterans can contact the Small Business Development Center at 541-383-7290 or sbdc@cocc.edu to learn more and get started by scheduling a benefits appointment.
Learn about additional veterans benefits at COCC, including credit-based programs and student services.
“One of my favorite veteran success stories in the business realm belongs to members of the Greatest Generation: soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division. In the 1940s, the U.S. Army activated a new unit to equip and train allied soldiers to fight in the Alps…on skis. Those soldiers received what I am sure was a thrilling course of instruction in the high country of Colorado and in Washington state’s gem of the Cascades: Mount Rainier. Those men were ultimately deployed to Italy and fought Nazis in frigid conditions with distinction.
“This is just the cliff notes of a hero’s journey that would give rise to the hair on any reader’s neck. It’s a soldier’s soldier story.
“Shortly after returning back to the U.S., those veterans used their foreign experiences to create a positive future for themselves and their community. They became businessmen. According to one source, at least 62 ski resorts have been founded by, managed by, or employed head ski instructors who were 10th Mountain Division veterans.
“Even Mount Bachelor owes its reason for the season to a veteran.
“As Veterans Day is near, I believe it is important for our civilian counterparts to hear a heartwarming story born out of a rather cold, rare and life-altering call to service. Veterans may also reflect on this as an example of how one might start a new chapter that builds on their unique strengths via a lived experience.
“If you’ve ever dreamed of business ownership, the SBDC offers free, confidential counseling to veterans (and any entrepreneur and small business owner) wishing to pursue entrepreneurship as a professional path. Visit cocc.edu/sbdc and climb to glory!” ~Keith Sherrill
Keith Sherrill is a proud 10th Mountain Division veteran who flew Blackhawk helicopters (MEDEVAC) in the mountains of Afghanistan. As an entrepreneur and MBA, he currently serves as an SBDC advisor and instructor at Central Oregon Community College.
