For Armando Quinones Jr., it wasn’t a smooth transition coming back home to Rockford after being away for four years in the Army.
Quinones commented, “You are used to certain rules and now all of a sudden a lot of those rules no longer apply. At first, you are still, but you have to keep on moving because the world doesn’t stop for you.”
“It was rough. You are going from a different world and then suddenly back into the world you left for four years,” said Quinones.
Armando returned home to Rockford in February 2018. He served in the Army for nearly four years and spent nine months in Kuwait. He knew that he wanted to continue his education after returning home but wanted to stay local.
“I decided to go to RVC because of my friends and family. Once you miss them for so long, you don’t want to continue to be far away from them,” said Quinones.
Armando enrolled at RVC in fall 2018. He is now in his third semester at Rock Valley College and is primarily studying graphic design. He met with a planning advisor to map out his path at RVC before eventually meeting Milana Herman who is the Program Manager of Veterans Affairs.
For Veteran’s Day on November 11, 2019, Armando was asked by Ms. Herman to design the token of appreciation for RVC’s 20th Annual Veterans Day Ceremony. The token, in the form of a coin, was given to all veterans who attended the event that was held at the Student Center.
Armando said his favorite part about attending RVC is talking with other students in his classes.
Quinones said, “A lot of them are straight out of high school. I’m sort of that older voice that can tell them to relax and just enjoy life. Don’t stress out over every little thing that college throws at you.”
Armando is currently involved in two organizations around campus: RVC Students of Service (SOS Club) and the RVC Veterans Association. Armando’s advice to any veterans looking to go back to school is to ask as many questions as possible.
Quinones wants every veteran and student alike to know, “Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t let your pride prohibit you from seeking help. I would try to do things on my own but I was better off getting help to plan out my future for college.”
