MADISON, Wis. — For many veterans, higher education can seem out of reach. However, a special program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is helping change that narrative. 

The Odyssey Beyond Wars initiative is giving veterans the tools and support they need to succeed academically.

Angie Nickels, president of Stand Down Madison, has devoted her time to helping homeless veterans by sorting donations at the Salvation Army.

“Yeah, putting it all in a bag so we can just hand it off and they can carry it is really remarkable,” she said.

But Nickels said her recent journey from military service to college has been even more remarkable.

As a disabled, medically discharged peacetime soldier, Nickels said she grew up thinking college wasn’t an option for her.

“I grew up thinking I couldn’t do college,” she said.

Like many veterans, she said she believed the military was her only path.

“Making the jump from military service to the classroom is often really, really difficult,” she said.

But she said she’s learning now that it is possible.

“They just need to be in the right environment,” Nickels said.

She said that “right environment” is provided for her through the Odyssey Beyond Wars Program at UW-Madison.

The program is led by Professor Erin Celello. It’s part of the larger UW Odyssey Project, which is now entering its second year. It offers veterans a full scholarship, tutoring and a range of academic support. The program helps veterans not only transition to higher education but also thrive there, with a focus on liberal arts and humanities.

“It’s a lot, but I’m managing,” said Nickels. “The wraparound support, the help from the students, the instructors, just the whole program itself — I feel like even if I was drowning, I wouldn’t be left behind.”

The Odyssey Beyond Wars program takes a holistic approach to education, offering veterans and their families comprehensive support, including textbooks, meals, career counseling and mental health resources.

Veterans begin their academic journey with English 101 and creative writing courses that draw on Homer’s “Odyssey.”

Guest lecturer and UW classicist professor Will Brockliss said he appreciates the veterans for their unique insights.

“I’ve read a lot of books, but I don’t have that sort of life experience. I can learn a whole lot from them,” he said. “When they start to look at these texts, I just see them in a whole new way.”

For Nickels, the program is about more than just academics — it’s about confidence.

“I feel like I have a lot of thoughts, but I haven’t really been able to express them in a comfortable space,” she shared. “Coming from special ed, it was always like, ‘No, you’re wrong, put your hand down. Be quiet. Sit down.’ So it’s nice that traditional college might be the same way as that, but this doesn’t feel that way.”

The Odyssey Beyond Wars program provides a welcoming environment where veterans can build their skills while drawing from their life experiences. Nickels said the program gives her hope.

“It takes an enormous amount of courage,” said Celello. “When you’ve been told that you were not college material, that college isn’t for you. Then to take that step, that takes just an enormous amount of courage.”

Nickels said for the first time, she believes in herself.

“School is for me. And it really feels like it’s for me this time,” she said.

At the end of the two-semester program, students receive their diplomas at Camp Randall during the spring commencement ceremony. They also have the option to continue their studies and work toward additional degrees.

Since its inception, the UW Odyssey Project has helped hundreds of students overcome obstacles to earn their degrees.