The blend of traditional and nontraditional students at Johnson County Community College creates an engaging learning environment for Justin Hoover. An added benefit is the veteran-friendly campus and career classes that fit his need. 

“I began college at Kansas State University for one year before I enlisted in the U.S. Army for three years,” Hoover said. “When I decided to return to college as a veteran, I didn’t want to be solely surrounded by right-out-of-high-school students,” he said. “I knew at a community college, JCCC particularly, there would be students with additional life experiences that I could relate to.”

Hoover found that and a veteran-friendly campus. He has connected with National Guard and reserve students in addition to veterans. 

“The Veteran Affairs office has been very helpful,” Hoover added. “It was nice to know there was someone on campus that could help me quickly and accurately with all my questions regarding changes with the 21st century GI bill.” 

To meet his learning preferences, Hoover is taking advantage of the JCCC entrepreneurial certificate program. 

“I’m not very interested in doing general education that is required for a four-year degree,” Hoover said. “My plan is to find the disciplines I like and do the one-year certificates that fit my interests. The many JCCC one-year entrepreneurial certificates work well for me.” 

When Hoover left the Army in 2006, he pursued a career in video production. He first worked at a production company, moving from an editor to assistant producer in six months. His tasks included everything from sales and customer service to final production and distribution. 

Hoover later worked for a web development company that produced social media products for video-game enthusiasts. He decided to attend JCCC for formal training in marketing and entrepreneurship. He plans to one day operate his own company.