E61- Bold MOVES from HigherEdMilitary Spotlight Award Winner Boost Veteran Education

Courtney Swoboda, who received the 2024 HigherEdMilitary Spotlight Award, describes her career path as "random." But during a recent interview with HigherEdJobs podcast co-hosts Andy Hibel and Monika Sziron, we saw that she is a determined and forward-thinking leader making strides in veteran education. As the director of Military and Veteran Services at the University of Central Missouri, Swoboda and her team spend their days processing educational benefits for students through the U.S. Department of Veterans. They also oversee state and federal military tuition assistance and process military transcripts.   Swoboda launched a statewide organization, MOVES (Missouri Organization of Veteran Education Specialists) to help fellow educators solve common issues and learn from each other. In this episode, Swoboda described the group's role in shaping legislation to boost educational assistance for Missouri National Guard members. In addition to her academic career, Swoboda has served in the U.S. Air Force Reserve for more than 11 years. She is currently an education and training manager and was previously an aircraft armament specialist.  Do you have a topic you would like us to discuss on the podcast? Send us your ideas, and you might hear it discussed on the HigherEdJobs podcast.