Expansion of Veteran Services Ahead with New Coordinator
Publish Date: Oct. 19, 2016
When Carla Thornton read the job description for Veteran's Coordinator/Counselor at Crafton Hills College, she felt as if the role was designed specifically with her in mind.
"I have always wanted to work with veterans full-time and was seeking an opportunity to find a position that combined all of my skills and passions," she said. "From the community advocacy work, the career and academic advising to the mental health components, simply put, I literally jumped and down and screamed when I was offered the position. I felt like I won the lotto."
This month, Thornton is marking her 19th year in the United States Air Force — 11 of those years were spent on active duty and the last eight have been in the reserve at March Air Reserve Base. Thornton serves on the California Veterans Board and the Moreno Valley Traffic Commission, and is a board member for the Center for Innovation and Research on Veteran and Military Families at the University of Southern California and the Riverside Area Rape Crisis Center. She earned her bachelor's degree in social science from the University of Maryland University College, her master's in management from the University of Redlands and her master's in social work from the University of Southern California.
"I chose this educational path for my graduate degrees because I wanted to learn more about the theory and application of leadership and how to have an impact on social programs from the macro level," she said. "Once I graduated with my masters in social work, I wanted to serve my community and be a change agent for causes I believed in. As a result, I fell into professional fundraising and began working for a domestic violence prevention non-profit before moving over to UC Riverside."
A native of Southern California, Thornton is an avid reader who enjoys traveling and playing golf with her 7-year-old daughter. She wholeheartedly believes "education is the key to success," and enjoys working with adults as they "achieve this great accomplishment of balancing self, family and education." Thornton is looking forward to creating a space and programs that will support Crafton's veteran student population.
"I hope to serve as advocate for our veteran population and help them as they navigate the classroom structure and environment and assist them during their transition," she said.
