Podrick — a facility dog trained by the nonprofit organization Susquehanna Service Dogs to help individuals with things like mood, focus and anxiety — is the latest addition to the Student Veteran Center, a dedicated space in the Ritenour Building on the University Park campus to help provide student veterans and students with military ties across all campuses a sense of community and belonging
Photo Gallery: New facility dog brings smiles to Student Veteran Center
Podrick — a facility dog trained by the nonprofit organization Susquehanna Service Dogs to help individuals with things like mood, focus and anxiety — is the latest addition to the Student Veteran Center, a dedicated space in the Ritenour Building on the University Park campus to help provide student veterans and students with military ties across all campuses a sense of community and belonging. Credit: Michel Lee Garrett / Penn State. Creative Commons
November 10, 2022
The Student Veteran Center on the University Park campus has a new staff member this semester. But unlike the rest of the staff of Penn State Office of Veterans Programs, this newest member has four legs, a golden fluffy coat, and a tail. Credit: Michel Lee Garrett / Penn State. Creative Commons
Podrick — a facility dog trained by the nonprofit organization Susquehanna Service Dogs to help individuals with things like mood, focus and anxiety — is the latest addition to the Student Veteran Center, a dedicated space in the Ritenour Building on the University Park campus to help provide student veterans and students with military ties across all campuses a sense of community and belonging. Credit: Michel Lee Garrett / Penn State. Creative Commons
“He's a daily part of people’s lives now,” said fourth-year anthropology student and Navy veteran John Buckley, right. “I’m taking a couple hard courses, and you can get bogged down in the negative stuff. A lot of people come here to study and work on those challenging things, and having that little playful dog coming up to you really does make a difference. I wouldn’t say Podrick has changed the world, but he chips away at all the hard things — that’s his specialty. I’m a firm believer those little things add up and make a big difference over time. He can really help you feel better and diffuse tension. He’s a bit goofy, he’s a little dopey, but he’s just the cutest dog; he’s a great resource for our community.” Credit: Michel Lee Garrett / Penn State. All Rights Reserved.
“We really attempt to be a holistic provider of services,” said Renee Thornton-Roop, senior director of the Penn State Office of Veterans Programs. “Even if someone is just coming in for a benefits session, having Podrick sit in helps take some of the pressure off, and we start to have more meaningful conversations. We provide general counseling services, and Podrick sits in on some of those sessions. One student with PTSD was having a difficult time, and having Podrick sit next to them so they could pet him while they were talking about their difficulties really helped them open up and helped the communication flow. People love him. We’ll take him for a walk on campus and someone will yell, ‘It’s Podrick!’” Credit: Michel Lee Garrett / Penn State. All Rights Reserved.
Opened in 2019, the Student Veteran Center is a one-stop resource for support, community and services for student veterans across the University. Home to the Office of Veterans Programs and Office of Veterans Affairs and Services, the center features a student veteran lounge, study rooms, classroom and multi-use spaces for student veteran organizations, support groups and special programming. Students also can access assistance with GI Bill and tuition benefits, transition-to-college programs, peer-to-peer mentoring, disability support and counseling all in one place. The center serves approximately 750 student veterans currently enrolled at University Park, as well as the nearly 4,000 student veterans across all of Penn State’s campuses, including World Campus. Credit: Patrick Mansell / Penn State. Creative Commons
Fourth-year forestry student and Navy veteran Matt Keenan, left, said the decision to have a facility dog like Podrick reflects Penn State’s commitment to meeting veterans where they are and helping meet their unique needs. Transitioning out of military life and applying to universities as a non-traditional learner can be a daunting process, but Buckley said Penn State went the extra mile to help make sure he had financial stability and support to be able to focus on his degree and preparing for the next stage of his career. “Penn State has to be the most veteran-friendly school in the nation. We have this amazing space for our community, we have all kinds of resources, including Podrick, and they facilitate access to fellowship and scholarships — we even recently had dinner at the president’s house. They really try to give us a sense of belonging as veterans and adult learners.” Credit: Michel Lee Garrett / Penn State. Creative Commons
The Student Veteran Center on the University Park campus has a new staff member this semester. But unlike the rest of the staff of Penn State Office of Veterans Programs, this newest member has four legs, a golden fluffy coat, and a tail. Credit: Michel Lee Garrett / Penn State. Creative Commons
Podrick — a facility dog trained by the nonprofit organization Susquehanna Service Dogs to help individuals with things like mood, focus and anxiety — is the latest addition to the Student Veteran Center, a dedicated space in the Ritenour Building on the University Park campus to help provide student veterans and students with military ties across all campuses a sense of community and belonging. Credit: Michel Lee Garrett / Penn State. Creative Commons
“He's a daily part of people’s lives now,” said fourth-year anthropology student and Navy veteran John Buckley, right. “I’m taking a couple hard courses, and you can get bogged down in the negative stuff. A lot of people come here to study and work on those challenging things, and having that little playful dog coming up to you really does make a difference. I wouldn’t say Podrick has changed the world, but he chips away at all the hard things — that’s his specialty. I’m a firm believer those little things add up and make a big difference over time. He can really help you feel better and diffuse tension. He’s a bit goofy, he’s a little dopey, but he’s just the cutest dog; he’s a great resource for our community.” Credit: Michel Lee Garrett / Penn State. All Rights Reserved.
“We really attempt to be a holistic provider of services,” said Renee Thornton-Roop, senior director of the Penn State Office of Veterans Programs. “Even if someone is just coming in for a benefits session, having Podrick sit in helps take some of the pressure off, and we start to have more meaningful conversations. We provide general counseling services, and Podrick sits in on some of those sessions. One student with PTSD was having a difficult time, and having Podrick sit next to them so they could pet him while they were talking about their difficulties really helped them open up and helped the communication flow. People love him. We’ll take him for a walk on campus and someone will yell, ‘It’s Podrick!’” Credit: Michel Lee Garrett / Penn State. All Rights Reserved.
Opened in 2019, the Student Veteran Center is a one-stop resource for support, community and services for student veterans across the University. Home to the Office of Veterans Programs and Office of Veterans Affairs and Services, the center features a student veteran lounge, study rooms, classroom and multi-use spaces for student veteran organizations, support groups and special programming. Students also can access assistance with GI Bill and tuition benefits, transition-to-college programs, peer-to-peer mentoring, disability support and counseling all in one place. The center serves approximately 750 student veterans currently enrolled at University Park, as well as the nearly 4,000 student veterans across all of Penn State’s campuses, including World Campus. Credit: Patrick Mansell / Penn State. Creative Commons
Fourth-year forestry student and Navy veteran Matt Keenan, left, said the decision to have a facility dog like Podrick reflects Penn State’s commitment to meeting veterans where they are and helping meet their unique needs. Transitioning out of military life and applying to universities as a non-traditional learner can be a daunting process, but Buckley said Penn State went the extra mile to help make sure he had financial stability and support to be able to focus on his degree and preparing for the next stage of his career. “Penn State has to be the most veteran-friendly school in the nation. We have this amazing space for our community, we have all kinds of resources, including Podrick, and they facilitate access to fellowship and scholarships — we even recently had dinner at the president’s house. They really try to give us a sense of belonging as veterans and adult learners.” Credit: Michel Lee Garrett / Penn State. Creative Commons
Last Updated November 10, 2022
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