October 30, 2023

Following its first Military Spouses’ Appreciation Day this past spring, Columbus State University and Columbus Technical College are again joining forces on Tuesday, Nov. 7 to express their thanks to the community’s military spouses. The free event begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Fort Moore 1918 Club.

In addition to showing their appreciation, the Tuesday morning program will give military spouses insights into ways they can benefit from educational resources available to today’s military-connected college students. Those opportunities range from professional certifications that lead to immediate employment opportunities, to starting or resuming their college-level education that ultimately leads to a degree.

“We’re proud to provide a supportive network and professional development opportunities for our military community — enlisted soldiers, their spouses and dependents, and veterans alike,” said Columbus Technical College President Martha Ann Todd. “We are excited to partner with Columbus State to present opportunities for our community’s military spouses who want to gain valuable, portable skills and credentials while stationed on Fort Moore.”

Throughout the morning, guests will have opportunities to network with other military spouses and to learn more about the educational opportunities both schools offer military spouses and their families. Those include certificates, degrees and continuing education that lead to high-demand jobs in fields like healthcare and cybersecurity — as well as unique programs offered on base or near Fort Moore like Columbus Tech’s paralegal studies and Commercial Truck Driver programs, or Columbus State’s interdisciplinary studies bachelor’s degree and one-year cybersecurity Nexus certificate program.

“For spouses, each new duty station is a chance to start over, reinvent ourselves, try something new, or better ourselves. Columbus State and Columbus Tech offer spouses the opportunity to do that — the chance to start school, continue school, get certified, get a degree, and learn. It is the opportunity to take a chance on a better future for ourselves,” said Tutt McCracken, current president of the Fort Moore Spouses Club.

After a general session on topics like applying to college, funding a college education and obtaining transfer credits, “speed-dating” sessions will allow spouses the pick from a variety of topics that interest them the most. These will range from maintaining a healthy family-college balance and adjusting to life as a student-spouse, to MyCAA scholarships, G.I. Bill funding and federal loans available to fund college studies.

“Our academic partners are critical to Fort Moore’s civilian workforce solution,” Col. Corey Woods, deputy chief of staff at the Maneuver Center of Excellence, said of Fort Moore’s collaborations with the two schools. “They provide relevant and flexible education opportunities, while also empowering military spouses to contribute to our community’s growth.”

The event will conclude before noon with remarks by Kesauna “Kiki” Patterson (pictured), a Columbus State senior who is serving as this year’s Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund Ambassador. Since the summer, Patterson has been touring the country on Freedom Alliance’s behalf advocating for Gold Star families and children like herself. Her father, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Esau Patterson, lost his life in Baghdad during Operation Iraqi Freedom when she was 2 years old.

“Military spouses are often the backbone for the families of today’s active-duty soldiers,” explained Susan Lovell, director of Columbus State’s Military-Connected Student Services. “When our community’s military spouses leave our Nov. 7 event, we hope they will feel supported and better informed of the many ways our two institutions — and the greater Chattahoochee Valley community — are here to help ensure success for them and their entire families.”

The event also includes a continental breakfast and giveaways. Military spouses interested in attending can register online for free — preferably by Friday, Nov. 3. For questions, contact Susan Lovell, director of Military-Connected Student Services at Columbus State University, at 706.507.8806 or Tamara Hicks, student affairs coordinator at Columbus Technical College, at 706.649.1914.

Media contacts:
Michael Tullier, APR, executive director of strategic communication + marketing, Columbus State University, 706.507.8729, mtullier@columbusstate.edu
Denise Wells, executive director of public relations and communications, Columbus Technical College, 706.649.1290, dwells@columbustech.edu  

Related news coverage:
CSU and CTC partner to honor military spouses, talk about educational opportunities (Nov. 8, 2023, WRBL-TV)
Columbus State, Columbus Tech team up for military spouses’ appreciation event (Nov. 1, 2023, WTVM-TV)
CSU, Columbus Tech host military spouse event (April 20, 2023, WTVM-TV)