Aniah Everage, 28, grew up in Baltimore and attended high school there. After graduating, he worked as a bus boy and in security, but he knew he there was more for him.
In January of 2013, Aniah enlisted in the Air Force. He went through basic training and then did stints in Virginia, North Dakota and Alaska. He served proudly until January of 2019, and during that time he received training to become a stuntman. Aniah was committed to pursuing work in this profession, but he knew he needed some higher education to be taken seriously.
Aniah enrolled in the fall of 2019 and is now studying film at HWC. He is a full-time student and takes full advantage of the school’s Veterans Services Center. “It’s far and away the part of my college experience that has made the biggest impact on me so far,” said Aniah about the Veterans Center at HWC, which is run by Director Marcus Williams. “There’s a bond between the students there, and knowing you have others who went through what you did and who are also transitioning to college makes a huge difference.”
Aniah credits Marcus as the reason for him being able to move forward toward his associate degree. Marcus assisted Aniah in getting temporary housing, setting him up at A Safe Haven, where veterans can stay while they look for something permanent.
Learn more about Veterans Services at City Colleges of Chicago here.