Five ECPI University student veterans from across Virginia had the opportunity to share their stories and experiences on Capitol Hill on March 13th. Zoell Wollin (Navy Veteran, Newport News), Starr Hernandez (Army Veteran, N. VA), Maddie Coppick (Navy Veteran, VB Campus), Alex Mayorga (USMC Reserves, Moorefield), and Tiffany Wiles (Navy Veteran & Navy Spouse, VB MCI) traveled to Washington D.C. to meet with members of Congress and their staffs, including Congresswoman Jen Kiggans.

Joshua Girardi knew he wanted to pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology (MET) to advance his career as a welder and transition into leadership and engineering roles. That’s when he found ECPI University Online, which he chose because of the flexibility he needed while working and going to school full time.

When Executive Director of Military Education Bill Brown asked Virginia Beach Student Veterans of America (SVA) Club President Maddie Coppick if she’d like to be one of a select group of students to represent ECPI University at NatCon this year, there was no way she was saying no.

A 2015 graduate of ECPI University with a bachelor’s degree in business management, Shanice Dockins' journey to empowerment advocate and CEO is a testament to her unwavering determination, resilience, and the transformative power of higher education.

For Brandon Twine, the road to earning a bachelor’s degree came with unexpected roadblocks, most significantly the untimely passing of his father.

It was during his time as a manager at Burger King that Brandon made the decision to return to original academic goals. He’d always aspired to become the first college graduate in his family, and now was the time to make that happen.

Kimberly Oddy spent her childhood in Vermont, harboring dreams of making her mark in the world of cinema. 

"I wanted to work for a company like Pixar," she said.

Fischer Cook just entered his twenties and, thanks to ECPI University’s Charleston campus, already holds a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity.

Cook, a Charleston, SC native, first started taking classes at ECPI as part of the Cyber Dual Credit Program through Summerville High School. 

“I always had a STEM interest,” said Cook. “Growing up I was into big machines, Thomas the Train, and anything engineering.”