Why Chicago? Why Veterans?

The ‘Second City’ of Chicago remains a powerful economic hub for all industries, and it boasts a veteran population of around 65,000. The population of veterans in higher education in Chicagoland is somewhere around 3,000-4,500 according to statistics from the VA. Many of these veterans are from diverse neighborhoods, first-generation college students, mothers or fathers, and all of them have years of experience handling adverse situations.

Colleges and universities alike still struggle to understand the positives behind the student veteran and how to handle these students that look and act so differently from the rest of the population. But even without full support in some cases, veterans continue to go above and beyond. The New York Times has pointed out that student veterans were “hogging the honor rolls and Dean’s lists . . . walking away with the highest marks in all of their courses.” The statistics agree, student veterans hold a 3.34 GPA average in comparison to the traditional students' 2.94 GPA according to both the U.S. Department of Education and correlated by research done by the Student Veterans of America. Veterans also shine in extracurricular ways, with their call to service making them 43% more likely to engage in community activities focused on giving back.

One of the problems we currently see, even with all these positives, is that employers place their focus on hiring traditional students when visiting colleges. Two-thirds of veterans report that they find themselves underemployed while in college or after finishing their degrees according to research done by Penn State. Many veterans join the service to begin with so that they may later afford college. It is our opinion that those individuals who dedicated years of life to serving this country for that degree deserve a better community while in higher education, and better connection to employers afterward.

Chicago Brigade is interested in bridging that gap, and connecting student veterans with employers specifically looking for them. The interest in hiring veterans and military spouses has been constantly increasing, but we feel that there is currently no good platform within Chicagoland to provide those direct connections. We strive to provide quality networking experiences, equally productive for both employers and students. We, as veterans ourselves, believe in the capabilities that other veterans bring to all industries within the working world. Come join us at one of our events, and see if you can find your missing piece.