Campus Location
Dallas Campus (Online)
Date of Award
10-2022
ORCID
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8405-5102
Document Type
Dissertation
Department
Organizational Leadership
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Committee Chair or Primary Advisor
Antonina Lukenchuk
Second Committee Member or Secondary Advisor
Colleen Ramos
Third Committee Member or Committee Reader
Dianne Reed
Abstract
Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the lived experiences of military veterans transitioning from service members to civilian life. The study was conducted using semistructured interviews with eight transitioning veterans who had completed their bachelor’s degree from the same Midwestern U. S. university between 2017 and 2022. Retention theory, and transition theory were used as the guiding theories for this study. An intrinsic qualitative case study was used for data analysis, which resulted in the emerging themes (a) Transitioning from Military Service to Civilian Life, (b) Work-Life-Study Balance: Confronting Challenges, and (c) Supporting Military Veterans. This study contributed to current research by exploring the systems of support needed for military veterans to successfully transition from the military to their civilian lives and successfully complete their higher education degrees. This study also provides insight into the obstacles faced by transitioning veterans such as reintegration with health concerns, changes and adjustments to the veteran’s geographic location, daily work routine changes, locating supportive resources, and reliance in family and social systems of support. This study contributed to current research by identifying campus and community resources that were used, or that were missing and needed during participants’ undergraduate studies. Among recommendations for future support was a mixed-methods study to review qualitative and quantitative data on the increased retention of military, a phenomenological study to focus on the common experiences of transitioning military veterans centered on participants’ gender, race, or socioeconomic status. Keywords: Traditional learners, nontraditional learners, social supports, family responsibilities, transition, military friendly
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Reynolds, Jada N., "A Path to Success: A Case Study of Military Veterans at a Midwestern University" (2022). Digital Commons @ ACU, Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 519.
https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/etd/519