From Combat to Campus: Understanding Grief and Resilience Among Veteran Students in Higher Education
Location
Helms Classroom #171
Session Format
Presentation
Abstract
Grief is an often-overlooked dimension of student well-being in higher education, particularly among nontraditional populations such as veteran students. This study explores how veterans experience and navigate grief within academic environments following their transition from military to civilian life. Drawing on trauma-informed and resilience frameworks, the research examines grief as both a personal and communal process shaped by military culture, identity loss, and campus belonging. Using a qualitative design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with veteran students enrolled at a southeastern public university. Data were analyzed using deductive content analysis to identify themes related to definitions of loss, expressions of grief, and coping strategies. Preliminary findings reveal that veteran students experience grief through multiple layers—loss of comrades, identity, and structure—while demonstrating significant resilience and purpose-driven coping. Yet, cultural norms of stoicism often hinder emotional expression and peer connection. The study underscores the need for grief-informed and trauma-sensitive practices within higher education, including faculty training, veteran-specific counseling, and community spaces that validate emotional experiences. By centering veterans’ narratives, this research broadens understandings of student development and highlights grief as a critical but underrecognized factor in persistence and well-being.
Keywords
Veteran students; grief; resilience; higher education; trauma-informed practice
Professional Bio
Dr. Chinasa Elue is an award-winning scholar, speaker, and grief coach whose work centers on leadership, well-being, and equity in educational and organizational contexts. She serves as a Professor of Educational Leadership and Higher Education at Kennesaw State University, where she researches grief leadership, trauma-informed practices, and the experiences of Black women in academia and K–12 leadership. Her work has been featured in USA Today, DiversityInc, the Journal of Higher Education, and other outlets.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Elue, Chinasa and Scheinfeld, Emily, "From Combat to Campus: Understanding Grief and Resilience Among Veteran Students in Higher Education" (2026). Georgia Educational Research Association Conference. 22.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gera/2026/2026/22
From Combat to Campus: Understanding Grief and Resilience Among Veteran Students in Higher Education
Helms Classroom #171
Grief is an often-overlooked dimension of student well-being in higher education, particularly among nontraditional populations such as veteran students. This study explores how veterans experience and navigate grief within academic environments following their transition from military to civilian life. Drawing on trauma-informed and resilience frameworks, the research examines grief as both a personal and communal process shaped by military culture, identity loss, and campus belonging. Using a qualitative design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with veteran students enrolled at a southeastern public university. Data were analyzed using deductive content analysis to identify themes related to definitions of loss, expressions of grief, and coping strategies. Preliminary findings reveal that veteran students experience grief through multiple layers—loss of comrades, identity, and structure—while demonstrating significant resilience and purpose-driven coping. Yet, cultural norms of stoicism often hinder emotional expression and peer connection. The study underscores the need for grief-informed and trauma-sensitive practices within higher education, including faculty training, veteran-specific counseling, and community spaces that validate emotional experiences. By centering veterans’ narratives, this research broadens understandings of student development and highlights grief as a critical but underrecognized factor in persistence and well-being.
