Student Spotlight: Yarnell Malone

Yarnell Malone made regular appearances at the El Camino College Veterans Resource Center, quietly accessing the services available to him while focusing on his classwork. Malone is a U.S. Navy veteran and a reserved individual who visited the center weekly to use the computer lab, visit the food pantry, meet with Tony (the dedicated veterans center academic counselor), and occasionally share a meal with staff.

During his farewell visit, Malone made his presence known: his face lit up with pride as he announced, “This is my last time here at the El Camino College VRC. I'm transferring to California State University, Long Beach, but I'll never forget everything you've all done for me and the other students.”

Malone's achievement – from arriving at the community college level to successfully transferring to a university – is just one of many success stories at El Camino’s Veterans Resource Center. Offering a gathering place for student veterans so they can study, get to know one another, and have a place of their own to hang out between classes, the center also features computers, career planning, and assistance through every step of the college journey.

In addition, counselors and staff are available to meet individually with student veterans, ready to help them set goals and create personalized educational plans to meet those goals.

“Student success stories like Yarnell's represent the heart of our work and all the departments at El Camino,” said Dr. Brenda Threatt, Director of Veteran Services. “His accomplishments validate all the counseling sessions, academic instruction, meetings, policy adjustments, deadline management, and shared concerns that go into supporting veterans and all students on their educational paths. These moments of triumph, when students beam with accomplishment as they move forward toward their goals, make every aspect of their mission worthwhile.”