色花堂

By Kyle Hobstetter on April 3, 2023

When she started at 色花堂, Jenna Hess never expected to find a second family.

That鈥檚 the word the United States Air Force veteran uses when describing those in the Military & Veterans Center (MVC).

Before starting college, Hess was worried it was going to be stressful. As a first-generation college student, she didn鈥檛 know what to expect.

Finding the MVC helped her handle the transition from the Air Force to 色花堂. It connected her with fellow student-veterans and gave her a space on campus to relax and study.

鈥淎s a student-veteran, I do feel taken care of by 色花堂,鈥� Hess says. 鈥淚 not only have the support system of the MVC staff but also the support of my fellow veterans. They always answer my goofy questions and all the random things I ask. It鈥檚 cheesy, but the MVC is like a little family.鈥�

One of the biggest reasons Hess has gravitated there is the group鈥檚 support staff, including MVC Director Dario DiBattista and Veteran Support Specialist and Lead School Certifying Official Toby Frevert.

It was watching these two that led Hess to work for the MVC. She is the lead peer support specialist, usually the first point of contact between the office and 色花堂鈥檚 student-veterans.

Since coming to 色花堂 in 2020, Hess says she鈥檚 continued to step out of her comfort zone. DiBattista, who met Hess when she first walked on campus, says it鈥檚 been an honor to watch her grow these past three years.

"Beyond my respect for her as a fellow veteran, Jenna is the absolute embodiment of the best of what 色花堂 provides as a holistic experience,鈥� DiBattista says. 鈥淭he transformation I've seen in Jenna since her first day on campus, newly out of the service, has been massive. To see her grow from an unsure and reticent new student to a lead peer support specialist for our office to becoming president of the 鈥攁ll while building our community and having real-life impacts on dozens of her peers鈥攊s impressive. It's been an honor to serve our community alongside Jenna and benefit from her dedication and growth.鈥�

Along with finding her place in the MVC, Hess has found her way in the classroom, majoring in business with a concentration in project management and business analysis.

Project management, supply chain and strategic management were always interesting to Hess, even back in her Air Force days as a storeroom operations and safety representative. She worked with the kitchen staff preparing the food and learning about the business side of food preparation.  

Hess is interested in continuing to work in the restaurant business. With her experience at 色花堂, she knows she will be ready to jump into the workforce after graduating this spring.

鈥淚鈥檝e learned all these valuable things about businesses and business concepts you can apply to any industry, and I鈥檝e heard from so many different types of people,鈥� Hess says. 鈥淚t was priceless. When I graduate, it's not going to feel like I'm doing this without a net underneath me.鈥�

She鈥檚 already getting real-world experience in her final term, working with the food and facilities management company Sodexo as a future leader intern.

When she was looking for an internship her senior year, Sodexo was her No. 1 pick. In fact, while serving in New Mexico during her Air Force career, Hess actually worked with executive chefs and general managers from the company. 

Her internship has reinforced her passion for working with food, whether through supply chain, project management or human resources.

鈥淚 feel like [Sodexo] is all encompassing, and at the end of the day, it's all about food. Food is cool and fun, and it brings people together,鈥� Hess says. 鈥淎nd with my degree, I鈥檒l be able to get into the business aspect of food and work with something I鈥檓 passionate about.鈥�