Student Success
Business Operations and Management
Student Feature
Coastline College Student Veterans and Veterans Resource Center (VRC) staff recently participated in Advocacy Day 2026 in Sacramento, joining institutions from across the state to advocate for student success and the continued support of community college programs—particularly Veterans Resource Centers (VRCs).
Representing Coastline College were Tom Boscamp (Veterans Services Coordinator), John Bruning (Coastline VRC Staff), and student veteran leaders Intencia Garard (Student Veterans of America Vice President and ASG Commissioner of Public Relations) and James Blaylock (Student Veterans of America President and ASG Military Senator). Together, they brought forward the voices and experiences of student veterans, emphasizing the critical role that VRCs play in supporting their academic and personal success.
Throughout the day, participants engaged in legislative meetings with elected officials and their staff, sharing firsthand accounts of how Veterans Resource Centers provide essential services such as academic guidance, benefits support, basic needs assistance, and a strong sense of community. These conversations highlighted how VRCs serve as a centralized support system that helps student veterans navigate the transition from military service to higher education.
Advocacy efforts focused on the importance of sustained investment in student support programs, including Veterans Resource Centers, which are vital to improving persistence, completion, and overall student well-being. Funding for programs like VRCs directly contributes to closing equity gaps and strengthening pathways to career and economic mobility for student veterans and other disproportionately impacted populations.
For Coastline’s student veteran leaders, the experience was both empowering and impactful. By sharing their stories, they demonstrated how access to a strong VRC can make the difference between struggling and succeeding in college. Their advocacy reinforced the importance of maintaining and expanding these services to ensure that all student veterans have the support they need to thrive.
Participation in Advocacy Day reflects Coastline College’s continued commitment to elevating student veteran voices and strengthening the resources that support them. The Veterans Resource Center remains a cornerstone of that mission—providing not only services, but a community where student veterans can connect, succeed, and lead.
Coastline College is proud of its student veterans and staff who represented the college with professionalism and purpose, advocating for continued investment in Veterans Resource
For information about our Veterans Resource Centers and how you can get involved, contact Tom Boscamp at tboscamp@coastline.edu.
