At 22 years old, Senior Airman Jean Cook is not only a dedicated member of the Air Force, but also a passionate student at UCCS.
A senior majoring in Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) with a dual concentration in theater and dance, Jean has managed to integrate her military service with her academic ambitions, all while conducting fascinating research into how veterans can heal from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) through theater and dramatherapy. Dramatherapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses drama and/or theater processes to achieve therapeutic goals.
The project was part of the UCCS theater department’s Landis Family Endowed Theatre and Dance Travel Award. Students at UCCS who are majoring in theatre or dance can apply for the Landis Family award that allows students to travel and gain insights into their specialty of dance or theatre. Jean was one of four UCCS students chosen to study in London.
Jean’s research involved interviewing drama therapists as well as writers, directors, and actors involved in projects related to the military. Her contacts include a director and writer working on shows based on his experience in the British Army who is bringing three plays to the stage that focus on life after military service.
“He is currently adapting his plays for the American stage, and he asked me to help give him feedback on how to adapt his plays for America,” she said.
The aspiring actress also interviewed the CEO and founder of Bravehound, a Scottish charity that supports veterans and their families.
“Fiona MacDonald’s charity provides veterans with service dogs and helps to create a safe space where they can create a new community with new comrades,” Jean explained.
Part of that is through facilitating Theater of War readings and productions for veterans, both on and off military installations.
“By coming together to read and put on plays, veterans learn that they are not alone and that warriors have suffered from PTSD as long as there have been people and wars,” she explained.
Jean said her military and theater connections helped to uncover information for her research project that may not have been communicated otherwise.
“I found that many of them spoke with me on the basis of my military service alone, because while a theater student may not understand their struggles and triumphs, a fellow service member would,” she explained.
She said she’s grateful that her time in the Air Force Reserves has led her to this point, especially since it allowed her to simultaneously go to school full-time. It has also given her time to take care of her 96-year-old grandmother.
“Sometimes my Air Force service has overlapped with my school obligations, but my professors have been very kind to come to an agreement with me,” Jean said.
That has included occasionally being excused from work or receiving extensions on a deadline. Jean said she’s also been able to join virtual meetings, allowing her to participate during lectures and in-class discussions, even when serving in a different time zone.
The Active-Duty Tuition Assistance Grant has been another big help, and Jean is also a member of the Chancellor’s Leadership Class (CLC).
“The scholarship has made it possible for me to spend more time taking care of my grandma and to spend more time with my husband. It has allowed me to focus on my studies without worrying about how I’m going to afford tuition, food, and gas money… all with the same paycheck,” she said. “Because of this, I am able to keep my grades up, focus on taking care of myself and my family, and I am able to serve in the Air Force better as a healthier, supported human.”
And while her true goal in joining the Air Force Reserves was to serve her country, Jean said the skills she’s learned as a college student studying performing arts along with the personal developments that come with military service have intertwined to set her up for success.
“Having one foot in the arts and the other in the military, I am able to empathize with people from many different walks of life, which helps me to be a solid peer to work with in both fields,” she explained. “The Air Force Reserves prides itself on having a workforce who are both serving and working civilian jobs, because it provides our team with diverse viewpoints. This makes me feel like I matter, and like thinking differently is encouraged.”
Nevertheless, Jean said she has faced challenges in balancing all that is on her plate, but she refuses to make any excuses. She went as far as to create her own degree plan that would allow her to apply for tuition assistance from the Air Force and works daily to navigate misconceptions about what it means to be both a student and an active-duty service member.
For other active-duty service members considering attending UCCS, Jean offered enthusiastic encouragement.
“I love UCCS! I think the faculty do their best to understand and accommodate military students,” she said. “The supportive, nurturing environment at UCCS provides a valuable perspective on life outside the military, preparing students for their future endeavors.”