To close out the week, we’d like to recognize an NHCC veteran staff member! Janet Lorenzo is our Military and Veterans Coordinator on campus and today, she’s sharing her story.
Janet served in the U.S Navy from 2003 to 2007. She was deployed two times, during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Janet received an honorable discharge and from 2007 to 2015, she worked in Corporate America. In May of 2015, she decided to go back to school. “This was a really scary time, because I was in my early thirties and did not know what to expect.” Nonetheless, in 2015 she graduated from Inver Hills Community College, with a degree in Human Services. While Janet was finishing her degree, she was the chair of the Beyond the Yellow Ribbon for the City of Inver Grove Heights. “My focus was in volunteer work within the community. This meant raising money for veterans in need, volunteering with Hasting VA home, taking veterans to appointments for the VA or to the food shelf, and clean up at Ft. Snelling during the major holidays.” In 2017, she was awarded the Veterans’ Voices Award, for her humanitarian efforts in the community. Janet completed her undergrad degree in social work at The College of St. Scholastica in 2018. She went on to get her master’s degree in social work from St. Catherine University and graduated in 2020. “I have always had a passion for military and vets because of my background. In December of 2018 I started part time at NHCC, this gave me an opportunity to complete my graduate degree and to get more experience of working with veterans and the VA. After graduation, I was offered a full-time permanent position here at NHCC.” Janet now works at NHCC as the Military and Veterans Coordinator on campus. “My goal as the military and veteran coordinator is to ensure NHCC does everything possible to support our veteran population. This includes resources, advocacy and a solid rapport.” Janet enjoys working with NHCC students and cannot wait to see what the future has to hold.