Meet Our Veteran Students

 

 Dakota Collage

Dakota Dukes

Dakota Dukes born in Killeen Texas was a CPL E-4 in the United States Marine Corps from 2013-2018. he worked on HH-1N helicopters at MCAS Yuma for his entire enlistment his responsibilities mainly consisted of airframes and hydraulic maintenance and has contucted thousands of maintenance hours on his specific aircraft and held the billet of his squadrons safety representative. After separating from the Marine Corps he worked at Versatile Energy Services in Killdeer North Dakota before attending IVC where he is pursuing an AA in Administrative Justice for Transfer.

 

 

F. Magallanes Collage

Francisco Magallanes

Francisco J. Magallanes, born in El Centro, was a SSgt/E-5 in the United States Air Force from 2008-2014 and graduated with Honors from his Technical school and promoted to SSgt within 3 years of service. He deployed to Bahrain and Afghanistan in 2011 in support of Operation Eduring Freedom from Ramstein AB Germany. His responsibilities included installing/troubleshooting and maintaining electrical power grids as an Electrical Power Production Craftsman. He was awarded the United States Air Force Achievement Medal for his temporary duty assignment in Rota Spain for powering and ensuring the successful mission of 17th Air Force's first counter terrorism reconnaissance mission over the horn of Africa. He also worked for Cummins N Power after separating from the service in 2014 and since then has attended IVC and obtained his AA in Liberal Arts.

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Jesus A. Rojo Salazar

I was born November 1987 and raised in the Imperial Valley. I lived in Brawley most of my life. I joined the U.S. Army National Guard  and served from July 2007 to July 2013. I was deployed from August 2008 to August 2009 : Iraq C.O.B Speicher ; C-co 1-185 AR BN, 81st Bde.

Attending IVC to obtain an A.S. in Business Accounting Technician

 

L. Barajas

 

Lorenzo M. Barajas Jr.

Born in Indio California, he enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1978 as a tactical wire specialist and was stationed in Wildflecken, Germany with the 1st BN 1st ADA. After being discharged in September 1981, he decided to enlist in the Army National Guard at Indio California with C co. 185th Armor Regiment as a tank crewman/gunner until 1997 when he transferred to the 578th Engineer Battalion in Brawley, California as a combat engineer. Later he transferred to the 1498th Transportation Unit out of Moreno Valley California and deployed with this unit to Kuwait/Iraq in participation of OIF 08/09; upon his return, he joined the last unit of his military career, the combat engineers out of El Centro California in September 11, 2012.

 

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Steven Gowens

From Greensboro, NC, he enlisted in the United States Navy the 31st of March, 1997 as a Culinary Specialist. 14 years of his naval career were spent aboard various ships; his first duty station was in Sasebo, Japan where he spent 4 years aboard the USS Fort McHenry, further, he spent 3 years in Yokosuka, Japan on the USS Kitty Hawk, and 3 years in Okinawa.

After his tour in Japan he decided to return home to the United States and got stationed on 32nd Street in San Diego aboard the USS Ogden. Following that, he was off to Coronado Navy Seal Training Base as support technician for 3 years, then received orders to serve 3 years aboard the USS Stethem in Yokosuka, Japan, and his final 3 years of service he was a Leading Culinary Specialist in Point Mugu, CA.

Steven currently attends Imperial Valley College and is working towards becoming a certified paramedic.