Notes: Vet recalls how WNC changed his life

When Western Nevada College’s Veterans Resource Center celebrated a reopening event in November, it wasn’t surprising to see Tim Galluzi in attendance. Only three months prior, Galluzi was helping Western raise money for student scholarships by attending the Reach for the Stars Gala in Joe Dini Library.

Obviously, Western still has a special place in Galluzi’s heart.

Galluzi hasn’t forgotten how Western, and the VRC in particular, helped him make a smooth transition from the military more than a decade ago. The VRC provided the Marine Corps veteran with the opportunity to give back to fellow veterans, find purpose in his post-military life and begin building a professional network while earning an associate degree and serving as a pre-admissions adviser for veterans.

Today, Galluzi is the state’s chief information officer who focuses on the day-to-day management of the Enterprise IT Services Division.

“I do not think I would be where I am today if it was not for WNC,” he said. “The diversity of classes that I took at WNC opened my eyes to where I could go, to try new things and to be challenged. They helped me see a path that went beyond the technical skills that I had obtained thus far.”

While studying at WNC, Galluzi served as president of the Student Veterans Club from 2012-14.

“Tim quickly became the keystone of the club, taking over a sputtering club and turning it into a force on campus,” said Kevin Burns, the club’s adviser and the Veterans Resource Center coordinator at the time.

He established a veterans’ peer mentorship program, created a scholarship research program for student vets, assisted veterans in securing scholarships, held scholarship workshops, helped bring awareness to faculty members about vets suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder, and served as a math tutor in the resource center.

Tim Galluzi 

 

As a post-grad from WNC, he transitioned from a work-study student to full-time employee, supporting the VRC through a grant program while earning his bachelor’s degree from Western Governors University. Later, while serving the campus in an IT role, Galluzi remained connected to student vets on campus by continuing to offer mentorship and tutoring.

“I look back at the time in which I was serving, in all capacities at the VRC, as some of the most fulfilling times in my life,” he said. “I could see the direct impact of the work that I was doing, helping veterans who thought that higher ed was out of reach and had challenges with education, find success. It was incredibly rewarding. Looking back nearly 10 years later, I have maintained life-long relationships with those that I worked with, that I served with.”

Galluzi remembers the uneasiness and awkwardness that overcame him before enrolling at WNC after serving eight years in the Marine Corps, including two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan as a communications specialist.

WNC’s VRC, which originally opened in 2013, provides veterans with VA resources information, education assistance, benefits consultation, work study opportunities, and more. The resource center is now led by Jonathon Jacobson, who also graduated from Western and was an officer with the Veterans Club.

For information about the services the VRC provides, contact Jacobson in Cedar Building Room 300, phone him at 774-445-3301 or 775-580-4143, or email him at john.jacobson@wnc.edu.

Nursing to hold job fair Feb. 14

Western Nevada College Nursing Program’s upcoming 2023 and 2024 nursing graduates and certified nursing assistant students will be attending the annual Job Fair and Professional Development event Feb. 14 from noon to 3 p.m. on the second floor of the Cedar Building.

The event is presented by the National Student Nurses Association (WNC Chapter) and helps the nurses secure future employment, interview with hospitals and health care facilities, secure scholarship funding through WNC Foundation and learn more from four-year colleges about bachelor degree opportunities. Snacks will be served.

Participating vendors include Renown Regional Medical Center, St Mary’s, Carson Tahoe Hospital, Carson Valley Medical Center, Banner Churchill Hospital, Gardnerville Health and Rehab, Carson Tahoe Transitional Rehabilitation Center, Ormsby Post-Acute Rehabilitation, Mountain View Health and Rehabilitation, Visiting Angels, Centerwell Home Health, Snow Angels Home Care, American Sentinel College of Nursing and Health, UNR Orvis School of Nursing, Grand Canyon University, Chamberlain University, University of Phoenix, Nevada State University, WNC Financial Aid, Foundation and SANDI/ROADS scholarships.

For information, go to wnc.edu/nalh, phone 775-445-4425 or email nursing.alliedhealth@wnc.edu.

Free talks on ‘NASA, the Early Years,’ ‘Forgotten History’

Lecturer Mike Thomas will continue his free history and science lectures this month at Western Nevada College’s Jack C. Davis Observatory.

Thomas will talk about “Forgotten History” on Friday, Feb. 17 and “NASA, the Early Years” on Saturday, Feb. 18.

Both presentations begin at 6:30 p.m. Doors to the observatory open at 6 p.m.

In his “Forgotten History” presentation, Thomas will touch on the stories of people, places and events that have been lost with the passage of time. For the “NASA, the Early Years” lecture, he’ll provide attendees with a slide-show presentation that covers the exciting years of our country’s first manned space flights. His presentation will focus on the Mercury Seven Astronauts.

Following the Thomas talk on that Saturday night, the observatory will present its weekly Star Party. On Saturday nights, the observatory is open to the public from sundown to 11 p.m. for Star Parties. The Western Nevada Astronomical Society hosts these parties, bringing together people with an interest in astronomy. Newcomers are always welcome.

Jack C. Davis Observatory is located at 2269 Vanpatten Ave., just above WNC’s Carson City campus.