From Service to Community: Why Veterans Are Finding a Home at Aims Community College

Aims Community College supports both student and employee veterans because that mindset is built into its culture. This year, Aims earned a Gold designation as a Military Friendly School and a Military Spouse Friendly School, reflecting its ongoing efforts to support military-connected individuals across campus. Across departments, military-affiliated people are finding careers and education that align with something familiar: a mission-driven way of working and leading.

For many military-affiliated employees, what stands out most about working at Aims is the sense of community, purpose and understanding. Veterans across campus describe an environment where their experience is recognized, their skills translate naturally and their work continues a mission of service, whether in the classroom or in campus operations.

After eight and a half years in the U.S. Air Force, Paul Bashline carried his experience into a civilian career that included law enforcement and business ownership before finding his way to Aims, where he now works in Employee Services, supporting employees across the college community.

Many positions at Aims require skills that can be developed through a career in military service, such as leadership, mechanical prowess and technological acumen, which are instantly transferable. “Veterans bring accountability, adaptability and a mission-focused mindset,” Bashline said. “Those are qualities that translate across any role.”

From Bashline’s HR recruiting perspective, he sees qualities such as reliability, leadership and the ability to work as part of a team as beneficial to any workplace, especially at the College. “Aims understands that military experience isn’t something you have to translate; it’s something that already fits. We’re not just hiring for positions, we’re bringing in people who know how to lead and support others.”

For instance, many aviation instructors at Aims are former military personnel. They are highly valued within the department because they offer a broader global perspective on the industry. They often have worked on advanced airframes or in diverse environments. Aims Aviation programs prioritize helping veterans translate their Joint Services Transcripts into college credit where possible, shortening their path to a civilian career.

Another great fit for many military-affiliated personnel is the Aims Public Safety Institute in Windsor. People with military backgrounds tend to bring a strong foundation in discipline, accountability and mission focus — traits that often align closely with public safety professions. Veterans also have direct experience with incident command systems, risk assessment, logistics and structured communication, which are integral to the public safety field. Just as important, they bring cultural competency from working in diverse, high-stakes environments, along with a service-oriented mindset that translates well into student mentorship and community engagement.

Different Paths, Shared Purpose

For Johnny Sowder, a GIS instructor and U.S. Navy veteran, that connection is immediate. “The skills learned in the military translate directly — the discipline, the mission mindset and personal values build a foundation that matches the commitment we see at Aims Community College,” he said.

While the environment may be different, the mission remains. “You have served your country; you have mastered your studies; now, go lead your communities,” he said. After his service, Sowder followed what he describes as a “non-linear path” before coming to Aims as an educator. It is a journey many veterans share: moving from a structured system into a civilian world where they must define their own direction. “In the military, the path is rigid. In civilian life, you have to build and follow your own path,” he said.

That idea of building a journey resonates across campus. For Jared Polito, a Veteran Services Specialist, that path did not begin with a clear plan. Polito’s path began after he earned his GED and served in the U.S. Army as a tactical power generation specialist. In 2019, he worked in the oil fields and decided to return to school to find a job that better suited him. He pursued a degree in computer information systems at Aims as a student, but found it was not the direction he preferred. In 2022, he switched to a liberal arts psychology degree and eventually transferred to the University of Northern Colorado, where he completed a bachelor’s degree in May 2026. Since graduating from Aims, Polito has worked in the Student Veteran Services Office.

Polito describes Aims as the best place he has ever worked. After multiple jobs in the blue-collar world, he finds the flexibility, focus on professional development and healthy work-life balance refreshing. “It’s a very uplifting place, and people encourage you to learn,” he said. Polito finds his work at Aims to be meaningful and rewarding. 

Katrina Einhellig is the Director of Nursing Education programs at Aims and served as an Army nurse at Fort Carson Army base and then at the 10th Combat Support Hospital. “I believe that Aims is a supportive place for veterans to attend school because of the presence of prior and current military service members,” she said.

Military Support in Action 

That commitment to supporting students who served extends to the Aims workplace, where military service is valued, respected and supported. 

Earlier this year, four Aims supervisors on the Campus Safety and Security (CSS) team received an Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Patriot Award. Raelle Rives, a Public Safety Specialist with Aims CCS and a Sergeant First Class serving as an Observer-Coach/Trainer for the U.S. Army Reserves, nominated her supervisors for an ESGR Patriot Award, noting that the team has always been supportive and accommodating of her service. Several members of the CSS team have also served in the military. The Patriot Award is the highest recognition given by the U.S. Government to employers for their outstanding support of employees serving in the Guard and Reserve.

Rives was recently deployed, and the CSS team organized an effort to collect video messages from the Aims community to provide well wishes and words of encouragement to her and her unit overseas. This was an overwhelmingly positive gesture in support of a colleague and in recognition of her commitment to serving, and of those alongside her.

Veterans Services on Campus

Through the Aims Veteran Services Department, the College provides guidance, resources and connection points for veterans navigating both education and career pathways. Program Manager Ross Atkinson leads the department and knows the transition from soldier to scholar. Atkinson is a U.S. Army combat veteran who discovered his passion for education while deployed to Afghanistan in 2010. He went on to earn both his Master of Arts in English and his Ph.D. in Education Sciences from Colorado State University. 

“What truly sets us apart, however, is our shared experience,” he said. “Our staff has a profound understanding of the unique challenges our students face because we were once those students. Because we have navigated this exact transition, we are deeply invested in helping our students overcome these obstacles and achieve their academic goals.”

Atkinson points out that veterans on campus, whether students or employees, recognize one another and connect through a common background. “If you are part of the veteran community, you belong here,” he said. The Veteran Services Department is a hub of the community. Even though the department is student-focused, its culture is open. Military-affiliated employees can still engage, ask questions or connect people to resources. Faculty and staff often act as informal bridges, guiding students based on their own experiences.

A Veteran Resource Social is an event open to anyone in the community affiliated with the service in any capacity. People can drop in for VA peer support, benefit questions and networking. It is open Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Ed Beaty Hall, Room 127F, the Campus Safety and Security Conference room. Sessions will be held until December 2. 

Aims also fosters community through events and programming, like Veterans Day activities. In 2026, the College is hosting a Liberty 250 exhibit, an Immersive History of the Revolutionary War. This immersive display is traveling throughout Northern Colorado and will be at Aims Community College's Greeley Campus from November 11–13. It will be displayed outside near the Student Commons Building. 

Another upcoming celebration is the NoCo Veteran Creative Arts Showcase. The NoCo Veteran Creative Arts Showcase is a collaborative exhibition presented by Colorado State University's Adult Learner & Veteran Services, Aims Community College Veteran Services and the Cheyenne VA Creative Arts Program. The event is aimed at honoring the artistic contributions of local Northern Colorado veterans. 

An opening event and guest speaker will take place at Colorado State University's Lory Student Center on November 10 from 3–6 p.m. The showcase begins with a presentation by guest speaker Ricardo Caté, a United States Marine Corps veteran and Native American cartoonist. Veteran artwork will be prominently exhibited in the theater's foyer throughout the day and evening. 

Following the opening event at CSU, the collection will transition to a gallery format at Aims, allowing visitors to view the art at their leisure. The art will be on display from November 11–13 at the Aims Student Commons, Room 114. 

Another initiative the department supports is the Patton Veteran Project film workshop and film screenings. It’s a project where veterans share their stories through creative expression. That commitment to honoring and uplifting veteran voices extends beyond programming and into the culture of support found across the College’s departments and teams.

A strong sense of community is central to what makes Aims Community College stand out as a workplace for veterans and military-affiliated employees. 

For Polito, that connection fills a gap many veterans feel after leaving service. “That’s what all Aims is. A giant community and everybody is connected. Everybody cares about each other,” he said, describing an environment where people are encouraged to grow, learn and support one another.

That sense of shared purpose extends beyond individual roles and departments, creating a network where veterans can find both professional direction and a sense of belonging. Sowder echoed that sentiment, pointing to “a community that helps one another find common ground to grow and prosper,” reinforcing the idea that at Aims, connection is not incidental; it is foundational.

These efforts for both students and employees create something that can be hard to find after leaving the military: a sense of belonging.