Kimberly Bloodgood
Director
Center for Veteran and Military Students
As a veteran of the U.S. Air Force herself, Kimberly D. Bloodgood can relate to the IU students she meets and works with through her role as director of the Center for Veteran and Military Students.
She first worked with military students in 2008, helping U.S. service members at the Bloomington Ivy Tech Community College with their education benefits as a school-certifying official, financial aid consultant, and veteran services coordinator.
After completing a master’s degree in adult education at IUPUI, she became program director of the Indiana State Approving Agency, where she worked on training programs for the GI Bill, educated school certifying officials, and performed compliance surveys. She liked the work but missed the interaction with students. Bloodgood became director at IUPUI’s Office for Veteran and Military Personnel before moving into her current role at IU Bloomington. She says the position builds upon the knowledge she has gained since entering the military education benefits field and remains dedicated to supporting her military brothers and sisters as they transition from the military to college to a fulfilling career.
Q: What led you to serve in the U.S. Air Force, and how did the experience shape you as a person? Do you have a military tradition in your family?
A: After visiting a college that I wanted to attend, I overheard my parents going through their budgets, talking about how they could do it and what it would mean to them financially. Mind you, as a potential first-generation college student, we did not know anything about financial aid. I heard what I can assume was the stress and despair of possibly having to tell me they could not afford it. I took it upon myself to figure out my next move, which ended up being the military.
Q: Did you have a mentor who inspired your current path in military education benefits?
A: Life leads you in mysterious ways. While I was in the financial aid role at Ivy Tech Bloomington, I was asked to serve as the school certifying official for our military students. Of course, I felt an obligation to take care of those who swore the same oath. It was not something that I thought I would be doing for as long as I have, but it provides a challenge, and I enjoy seeing the satisfaction on students’ faces when they pass an exam, complete a class, or finish their last term.
Q: How do you serve that role for students and teach them to support newer recruits moving forward?
A: The good thing about military students is, if they have completed prior service, they have the mentality to “pay it forward” to fellow vets. Sometimes the interaction is not seen as helpful to others, but the few that are making the gesture know how helpful it can be. So, for me it’s easy: I can provide the space and opportunity for them to meet each other. They just need to step into the center to take advantage of the support.
Q: What do you want people to know about the Center for Veteran and Military Students that they might not know?
A: Our mission is to support the full military-connected community! We help not only the veterans, but active duty, National Guard, reserve members, and their families. We provide more than just benefits; we provide a space and programming for our military connected community.
Bloodgood attends a past Veteran's Day celebration at the IU Sample Gates.
Q: How can we support our military students and veterans throughout the year—not just on Veterans Day?
A: I get asked this all the time and I find it rather challenging because there are various ways that our campus community can help support our military student population. First, remember that women, people of color and international students are, and can be, veterans. Never assume that we all have challenges due to our military service or that we always agree with what is going on in the political world. Thanking us for our service is nice—but be aware that if you thank someone in a uniform, it is possible that the person with them is affiliated, just not currently wearing the uniform.
Q: What changes have you seen in military training in 2022 compared with when you were in school?
A: I’ve heard stories of ways that the military has tried to update their training, such as recruits in basic training given stress cards to give out to the person yelling at them when they get too stressed. Of course, is this true? I would not know personally.
A few years ago, I went to Fort Knox on an educators tour though Army ROTC. It was probably the best conference I have ever attended, purely because I was not a fan of ROTC until I learned more about what their mission is. I was able to watch what these potential officers were doing with their summers, how they were training, and got to experience a bit of what it was like. Although this training didn’t seem different, I know that military training is updated and the standards are reviewed on a regular basis.
