San Diego City College welcomed Jacqueline C. Willett as the newest veterans counselor in September 2022. Willet is a first-generation college student and comes from a long line of military service members.
Willet earned her master’s degree in Veterans Counseling twelve years ago. “At that time there were not many college services dedicated to student veterans, but I believed someday I would find a need to fill, and City College was the perfect fit,” she said.
City College comprehensively serves veterans- and military-affiliated students through a dedicated center, a month-long Veterans Day celebration, and a work study program. Willet outreaches to students from the college’s Veterans Service Center (VSC) located in M-101.
“It is important for veteran students to have a space to be around other veteran students, faculty, and staff who understand their experiences, and to provide a calm and positive place where they can set their bag down and be without judgment or feel pressured to "be on" all the time,” explained Willet.
The VSC is designed to serve both men and women from military transition to the completion of their academic goals through three primary areas: academics, community, and wellness. The center is a welcoming space for students complete with priority enrollment support, mental health counseling, computer access, printing and copying services, a kitchen lounge, information about receiving VA benefits, and networking events.
Willet’s upbringing and personal experience allows her to better understand her students. “On both sides of my family, my grandparents were medical doctors in the Navy. My uncles and other grandparents also served in the Air Force and Navy. I am also a spouse of a Navy veteran,” Willet said. Her family came to the United States from Mindanao, Philippines and Luzon, Philippines.
“Active-duty military personnel, veterans, and dependents may have invisible and visible needs that differ from the classroom and inside the home and we want to support them fully,” Willet said. “Come visit us in M-101. Feel free to stop by and get to know us. We are here as your resources and support.”
Prior to her arrival at City College, Willet worked as an academic counselor at Cypress College, student support analyst at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), and as a transfer and graduation advisor at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
Willet holds a master’s degree in College Counseling and Student Development from Azusa Pacific University, a bachelor's degree in Human Development from CSULB, and an associate degree in Liberal Studies from Long Beach City College.