Montgomery County Community College: ‘Veteran's Power Hour' Airs The Stories Of The College's Veterans

Press release from the Montgomery County Community College:

Eric Devlin

January 19, 2022

Montco Radio’s newest series gives a special salute to Montgomery County Community
College veterans.

Tune in as Matthew Benko, Manager of Veterans Services at MCCC, hosts “Veteran’s Power Hour” a live, one-hour, online radio show airing
Fridays at 9 a.m. Each week Benko sits down with veterans from across college students
and the community to share their experiences.

Veterans Services

An active-duty Delaware Air National Guard senior master sergeant, Benko said he hopes
the new show will allow veterans to hear and learn from one another.

“I wanted to create an access point for veterans to be thanked for their service,”
he said. “I wanted to highlight what being a veteran means to them.”

Benko, 42, who lives in West Norriton, has a combined 22 years of military service,
dating back to his time as a senior airman in the United States Air Force and a staff
sergeant in the Pennsylvania Air National Guard. He also has experience as a counselor
at the Philadelphia and Coatesville Veterans Affairs Medical Centers. He hopes that
bona fides will help his guests feel comfortable and willing to open up to him during
the show.

“It’s been great to reconnect with veterans in this capacity,” he said of the show.
“When I was a counselor and therapist at the VA that was my job. I managed a caseload
of 200 veterans in a clinical setting. My duties as therapist were to talk with veterans
and engage their stories. That’s the piece I miss the most: hearing and connecting
with veterans. To facilitate a dialogue to help them process their experiences.”

The show he said is meant to be fun and meaningful for guests and listeners. He hopes
veterans across generations will tune in.

“Not everyone may be comfortable going on the radio, but hearing other veterans tell
their stories may be empowering,” he said. “There’s a common theme of veterans from
generations apart being able to connect and bond. That’s the power of the veterans’
network. Their shared experiences empower them and can get them out of a challenging
time.”

Hosting the show with little to no experience behind a microphone hasn’t been too
much of an issue, said Benko. He credits Matt Porter, Senior Producer and Technical
Services Manager, for putting him through radio basic training.

“Matt said, ‘You fly airplanes. This is easy. It’s literally three switches. Think
of it like a keyboard on steroids,’” said Benko. “It’s overwhelming but I’ve always
been technically interested.”

The real challenge has been finding ways to grow and evolve the show, he said. He
has a rolodex of veterans groups, students, faculty and staff on campus who he hopes
will come on the show but he’d like to find ways to expand beyond that, too.

“And find a way to use this as a resource for Montco student veterans, military- connected
students and their families. The show connects families as well. Because it’s a core
value and mission of the College. We’re a community college. We are an access point
and means for the community to connect. That’s what we’re all about as far as the
community college goes.”

Previous episodes of the show will be available for download as a podcast via Spreaker. The College community can listen to Montco Radio programming anytime live online. The website features links to listen, information
about the club and a schedule of shows.

MCCC has its designated Veterans Resource Centers where it assists students with their
VA benefits, helps them transition to campus life and hosts an active Student Veterans
Organization, where they can connect with other veteran-students through weekly meetings
and activities. Through Prior Learning Assessment (PLA), MCCC also offers credit for eligible military experience and training. The
Veterans Resource Center is located on Blue Bell Campus next to the Fine Arts Center.
Services are also available at the Pottstown Campus in North Hall. For more information
about Veterans Services, contact the Veterans Resource Centers. For more information about Veteran’s Power Hour, contact Matthew Benko.

This press release was produced by the Montgomery County Community College. The views expressed here are the author’s own.