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Ryan Murphy, Madison College's Veterans Benefit Associate Manager, served in the U.S. Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment, where he trained and led team members to be combat-ready.
Today he serves his country by ensuring that veterans have access to their benefits and higher education at Madison College. Each academic year, around 400-500 military-connected students are enrolled at Madison College. The college's mission, recognized by its Military Friendly ranking, is to provide every one of these students with wrap-around resources for a successful career and life.
Tell us about your military career and how you came to Madison College:
I spent nearly seven years at 2nd Ranger Battalion, a U.S. Army special operations unit, and was deployed twice to Afghanistan and twice to Syria. I joined the military when I was 18 because I didn’t know what to do and didn’t think college was for me. Being in the military is probably the best thing I’ve ever done in my life; it really matured me as a person. I enrolled in Madison College when I got out of the military and received my associate degree. With my transfer credits and credits from my leadership experience in the military, I transferred to Lakeland University. I earned my bachelor's degree in business administration and a master’s degree in leadership and organizational development, and that was all with my GI Bill benefits.
As a veteran yourself, how do you relate to veteran students?
The biggest challenge is that transitional period of separating from military life and going into civilian life; it’s almost like a piece of your identity was taken away. Being in that position, I can relate to veteran students, as all our staff can. From talking with students, all are confused and lost in some shape and form. I’ve dealt with my own struggles from military experience, including PTSD, so being able to listen to a student veteran is very important; I may not have all the answers but just being able to relate to the stories that they are sharing, and provide guidance, when appropriate, has really been the best thing that I have been able to provide for our students.
Do veterans know about their higher education benefits?
Some have a basic understanding of their Veterans Education Benefits. Still, during the transitional period for a service member going from active duty into civilian life, there are not a lot of career tools outlining benefits, so that’s where our department comes into play with these students; we explain to the best of our ability what the benefits cover and their eligibility. Veterans can contact us at (608) 246-6038, veterans@madisoncollege.edu, or visit the Madison College Veterans Benefit webpage.
What are your super skills?
I was a section leader supervising 24 Rangers, so I feel like I have strong middle-level management skills. I find joy in solving problems, working with a team, and putting people in the right position so we can find success both individually, and collectively.
What accomplishment at Madison College are you proud of?
Most recently I spearheaded our ability as an institution to offer tuition assistance to veterans; something that unfortunately fell off 10 years ago. With the Wisconsin Air National Guard right next to us, it made sense; just another avenue where students can get resources to pay for college. My vision is to help our veteran students achieve success at Madison College, using their GI Bill, and setting them up for the next chapter of their lives. I started here as a student first, and then six months later, I got a job as a part-time employee, and then worked my way to where I’m at now. I want to be able to give that same opportunity to other students and that all starts with making sure they know how they use their benefits, and we are here to help them.
Find more information on Madison College Veteran Services and Veteran Benefits.
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