Student Veteran To Share Insight About PTSD During Virtual Program Hosted by Student Veterans Organization

Joe Clark, a Liberal Arts: History major at SUNY Schenectady and a veteran, likes to tell people, “You see me now, but you didn’t see the struggle that I had to go through to get here. If I can share what that was like and what has worked for me, you can see that it must work to some extent,” referring to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the coping strategies he uses to deal with it. He will share his experiences this Wednesday, Feb. 24, at 3 p.m. during a virtual program on PTSD organized by the College’s Student Veterans Organization and the Student Veterans Resource Office. He will be joined by Dr. Maggie Guglielmi, Ph.D., Psychologist, PTSD Program Manager, and Director of Clinical Training for Psychology for Stratton VA Medical Center. The program is open to the public and is intended for anyone who would like more information about PTSD. It is the first in a series of online programs this spring featuring experts from the Stratton VA Medical Center.

Clark, who served in the U.S Army for nine years and was deployed as a member of the Military Police to Iraq during the early 90s as part of Desert Shield and Desert Storm, will discuss how PTSD has affected his life and how he relieves stress and anxiety. He has realized that by sharing the details of his journey, including the triggers he avoids and his love of building museum quality military history dioramas, he can help others who might not even recognize that they have PTSD. “I want people to know that it’s treatable and manageable,” he explained. “I still get overwhelmed at times, but I have learned to identify that and what to do to lessen it.”

Since he began taking courses at SUNY Schenectady in Fall 2018, after leaving the military and then working for several years in security, Clark has been working in the Student Veterans Resource Office. He and other student veterans staff the office and provide information about benefits and VA resources to other student veterans, especially those who are new to campus. He is also president of the Student Veterans Organization. Since the pandemic began, the group has been meeting virtually and has planned other virtual events for the semester, including programs on traumatic brain injury on March 24 at 3 p.m. and suicide prevention on April 14 at 3 p.m. Again, the programs are open to the public.

Recently, SUNY Schenectady was again named a Military Friendly School ® by GI Jobs magazine. This recognition for the 2021-2022 academic year marks the ninth consecutive year of this honor. This continuous status as a Military Friendly ® school shows the College’s firm commitment to serving those who have served, said Dr. Steady Moono, College President. “We know how important it is for students to feel comfortable asking questions and finding the resources that they need,” Dr. Moono said. “We are proud to be a Military Friendly School and to provide everything that our student veterans need to succeed.”

Join the PTSD virtual presentation. For more information on the Student Veterans Resources Office, please contact Dr. Ellen Wertlieb, Director of Wellness and Academic Advisor, at 518.381.1282 or wertliec@sunysccc.edu.