UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A group of undergraduate students gathered in the Student Veteran Center classroom on Sept. 3 to craft intricate masks that help describe each of their journeys to University Park. This mask-making was part of a specialized veterans first-year seminar designed and facilitated by the Penn State Office of Veterans Programs to assist student veterans in exploring and expressing their experiences as they transition from the military to life in a civilian academic environment.
Engaging veterans and veteran allies on campus and within the Penn State community, the class aims to connect student veterans to resources to help support their retention and success.
In this particular class, Dr. Mark Stephens, a Navy veteran, medical doctor, and associate dean for medical education for the Penn State College of Medicine in University Park, facilitated a session on transition and identity. Through the medium of mask-making, these former soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines found a creative outlet to express complex emotions and identity shifts that often accompany significant life changes.
“Recognizing your identity is an important part of transition,” said Zion Chen, a veteran and first-year seminar student. “It’s important to engage in activities that help solidify that — it’s a therapeutic process.”
For many veterans, transition to civilian life can be jarring. They leave behind the structured world of the military, where their identity was often clearly defined, and enter a new environment where many feel like outsiders. This sense of displacement can be particularly acute for those who served in combat zones, where they experienced things that few of their civilian peers can comprehend.
“It’s good for veterans to have this kind of experience, bridging the gap between service and the classroom,” said Steven Jones, another first-year seminar student. “Taking the Veterans First Year Seminar is the first step to getting on a successful path.”
The mask-making is part of a course that is designed to welcome veterans to the Penn State Community. The course offers a safe space for veterans to gather and process emotions and connect with others who may have shared similar experiences. It is a place where they can let down their guard, be vulnerable, and express themselves without fear of judgment.
By the end of the class, the goal is for students to realize that the masks they have created are more than just art. They are symbols of resilience, transformation and the enduring human spirit. They remind us that in times of transition, we have the power to reinvent ourselves and create something beautiful from our varied experiences. A powerful lesson for us all.