Each November Johnson County Community College (JCCC) honors those who served with a week‑long series of events for veterans, active‑duty members, students, staff and the surrounding community. This year’s Veterans Week, running Nov. 4‑11, featured a milestone for the college’s military community: the official grand opening of the expanded Veteran & Military Student Resource Center (VMSRC).
Ribbon‑cutting marks new resource hub
At noon on Wednesday, Nov. 11, JCCC held a ribbon‑cutting ceremony on Veterans Day to unveil the enlarged center. The new space consolidates a range of veteran‑focused services in one location, making it easier for students and local families to find assistance.
The expanded VMSRC now houses a full‑time counselor from the Kansas City Vet Center, the VetSuccess on Campus program, and the Johnson County Field Office for the Kansas Office of Veteran Services. “Our commitment to veterans extends well beyond Veterans Week,” said Kena Zumalt, director of the VMSRC. “The Veteran & Military Student Resource Center gives veterans and military‑connected students a dedicated place to find support, connect with peers and access resources, while also allowing JCCC to serve veterans and their families throughout Johnson County.”
SPC Spencer Duncan Student Lounge honors fallen hero
The center also features the new SPC Spencer Duncan Student Lounge, a welcoming space for veteran and military‑connected students to study, relax or meet between classes. The lounge is named for Spencer Duncan, an Olathe native and 2008 graduate of Olathe South High School who enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve after graduation.
Duncan trained as a CH‑47 Chinook helicopter repairman and later served as a door gunner with the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment. In 2011 he deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, flying as part of a Chinook crew that supported special‑operations missions. He was among the 30 American service members killed on Aug. 6, 2011, when the helicopter known as Extortion 17 was shot down.
His legacy lives on in Johnson County through the Spencer C. Duncan Make It Count Foundation, founded by his parents Megan and Dale. The foundation has provided nearly $150,000 in book scholarships to JCCC student veterans over more than a decade. Megan and Dale Duncan will join the college for the Nov. 11 dedication of the lounge.
Veterans Week events highlight community involvement
Throughout November, JCCC has scheduled a variety of activities to honor local veterans and showcase the resources available on campus and across Johnson County. On Nov. 4, former Army veteran and author Jason Kander visited the college for a conversation on resilience, leadership and service, speaking with students in the CoLab before taking the stage at Yardley Hall for a free community dialogue.
On Nov. 5, the college screened In Their Own Words: Mexican American Vietnam Era Veterans, a short film produced through JCCC’s veteran oral‑history project. The screening was followed by a panel of veterans featured in the film, who shared personal stories from the Vietnam War era. The event marked the final year of a nearly decade‑long collaboration among the VMSRC, the Kansas Studies Institute and Video Services on the oral‑history initiative.
JCCC’s Veterans Week activities continue through Nov. 11, offering students, staff and community members multiple opportunities to honor local service members and learn about the expanded support services now available at the VMSRC.
For more information, visit jccc.edu/veterans.
Original reporting: Johnson County Post (Overland Park) — read the source article.
