Fresno State students Joseph Greene, Stephanie Rodriguez and Wendell J. King received a total of $1,500 in scholarships from the Marine Corps League Fresno in a ceremony hosted at the Clovis Veterans Memorial District on June 22.
“This scholarship means the world to me. It shows that Marines look out for each other, especially in their times of need,” said Joseph Greene, a Marine Corps veteran studying business administration with an emphasis in computer information systems.
“As my wife and I are expecting our first child in August, this scholarship will help with household essentials and travel expenses to and from school.”
Originally from Fresno, Greene decided early in his life that he wanted to serve his country. After enlisting, he was stationed at Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii and later deployed to Afghanistan, where he served in an artillery unit. After deployment, Greene served on a funeral detail that covered Hawaii and the West coast — where he presented an American flag to the families of fallen service members during their funeral services. For this, Greene earned a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.
Greene said, “I never thought I would attend any college after my time in the Marine Corps, however, I knew Fresno State was a great place to set myself apart from competition in the workforce.”
At Fresno State, Greene was able to find support and community with other student-veterans through the university’s TRIO Student Support Services Veterans program.
Rodriguez and King are also members of the program.
Rodriguez said, “Normally I would be lost and try to figure things out myself, but with the help of the TRIO program I have felt more comfortable reaching out to them for any question. I feel like there’s always someone available for guidance.”
Originally from San Diego, Rodriguez joined the Marine Corps in 2007. She completed boot camp in Parris Island, South Carolina and was then stationed at Camp Hansen in Okinawa, Japan, where she was meritoriously promoted less than a year after her arrival. She stayed in Japan for two more years and then spent the last two years of her enlistment in North Carolina. She settled in Fresno in 2011.
A viticulture and enology major, Rodriguez is the first in her family to attend college.
In the TRIO program, veterans receive individualized counseling, academic support tailored for student veterans and a variety of workshops on topics such as money management and career development.
“TRIO has been excellent in helping me transition to a university,” King said. “The workshops were beneficial in me understanding the process to acquire a job, how to properly prepare for an interview. The University 8 program seemed to expand on the workshops to incorporate new techniques to studying and ways to improve employment opportunities.”
A senior majoring in psychology, King served as a hospital corpsman in the military, caring for injured and wounded servicemen.
King is a third-generation veteran — his father is a retired Army Sergeant First Class and his grandfather retired from the Army after serving in two wars.
Being a Bulldog has also become a family tradition — King’s youngest son, Jabari King, is also a student at Fresno State. A student-athlete on the men’s track and field team, Jabari King placed fourth in the Mountain West championships last season and represented Fresno State in the USA U20 track championship.
Wendell King plans to pursue a master’s degree in family therapy after completing his bachelor’s degree this year. “That, combined with my work as an athletic trainer, I hope to open a training facility that has a holistic view on mental health as well,” King said.
To learn how to contribute to veteran support programs, contact Katie Bewarder at katieadamo@csufresno.edu.
