By: Austen Hammon
Rejection. For some military veterans this is the reality they face while searching for a job. Haunting stigmas of anger problems or PTSD can follow veterans whether they suffer from such disorders or not. Patrick Garner, 28, is a proud Army veteran who has lived the reality of constant denial. Garner served four meaningful years in the Army, and feels that because of the hard work, commitment and patience it takes to be in the army, he would be a great asset in the work place. After leaving Afghanistan, Garner expected to pick up right where he left off in his home state of California. However, Garners reality would turn out to be much different from his perceived expectations; he remained unemployed for the next 6 months. Garner felt trapped. When asked why Garner was at a dead end in finding a job he responded, “It could have been that I didn’t have the right credentials… I didn’t set myself up for success which led to a long road of unemployment.” Garner in response to not having the right credentials decided to advocate for himself and enroll in the University of Oregon.
Garner, now in his fourth year at UO, has found great success in finding jobs and building his resume. He became involved with the ‘Veterans Center’ on campus which has been a great avenue into finding local jobs and giving back to his community through volunteer work. Recently, Garner has found a job working concessions for the Eugene Emeralds and also doing maintenance at the Student REC Center. Garner said, “Through these jobs I feel I have more attachment to the community and university, along with the self satisfaction that comes with being employed and making money.” Although veteran discrimination can deter veterans from the path to finding a job, Garner took it upon himself to set aside outside judgment and self reflect on his credentials. Doing so, he enrolled in the UO, which has given him an immense amount of confidence and opportunities to succeed and find jobs.
Graduating with degrees in General Social Science and Business Economics, UO will help set Garner up for his ultimate goal of owning his own business. Garner knows how to work hard and hopes to apply that to his future business. Garner realizes, “if it wasn’t for the dark times in my life of unemployment I wouldn’t be able to appreciate the situation that I am in today.” Garner is where he is today because of his advocacy and self determination, which will help him succeed in his future goal of starting his own business.