Men and women returning home from serving overseas in Central PA have an opportunity to accelerate their education.
Students who served overseas are now catching up at YTI Career Institute in York County.
Jonathen Leggore, of Marietta says, “I wanted to get a trade underneath my belt after the military and pursue a job in that field.”
In 2008, Leggore enlisted in the Military. He was an aviation ordinance man in the Arabian Gulf. He says, “We built bombs, missiles, rockets, loaded them up on jets.”
Leggore got out of the Navy in 2012. On Friday, he and 60 other students veterans are honored for their endeavors.
He says he “feels honorable, that everybody honors us, like our forefathers.”
YTI York Campus president, Carla Horn says, “We’ve seen an increased population of student vets and that is a direct result of the financial support the Government does give our vets to return to school.”
Horn’s talking about the Yellow Ribbon Program. It falls under the post 9/11 GI Bill. Veterans receive federal funds to attend school, without having to pay out-of-pocket.
Horn says, “We’re ensuring they can leave YTI feeling successful and contribute to workforce in the York community.”
Leggore’s finishing up his third term at YTI. He’s confident his maintenance background in the military combined with an education will help him ease into the workforce.
Leggore says, “It’s good to have education background because nowadays everyone wants that, so it will help me a lot.”