Joe Guerra, counselor for TRIO Student Support Services Program, enlisted in the Air Force for guidance and discipline in 1975.

He was stationed in Florida where he worked on jet fighters — and spent some time working on the Space Mountain ride at Disney World.

In August, Guerra celebrated 20 years as an employee at Fresno State. He has a master’s degree in counseling from Santa Clara University and a bachelors in social work from San Jose State University.

As a counselor for TRIO, Guerra provides academic and personal support to over 200 students enrolled in the program.

“Every day is a new day with new situations happening with the students sometimes good and sometimes bad,” Guerra said. “I’ve had the opportunity to see many students rise above the obstacles and the difficulties they are facing and be successful.”

Before arriving at Fresno State, Guerra worked at the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools (formerly called the Fresno County Office of Education) in the Transition Program. Guerra helped high school students with physical and learning disabilities enroll in community colleges and find employment.

Guerra, who lives in Kingsburg, has eight siblings including a twin brother. He is the first and only person in his immediate family to graduate from college. Outside of work, Guerra enjoys photography, spending time with family, attending church and watching Ultimate Champion Fighting.

In celebration of Veteran’s Day, Campus News asked Guerra a few questions about his time in the military and his work at Fresno State.

What do you do at Fresno State and what do you like about it?
I am the counselor for the TRIO SSS Program and I provide academic, personal and academic support for students in the program (200+ students). I enjoy working with the students, watching them mature from a scared and confused freshman to a mature young man/woman ready for their first professional job upon completion of their degree. In my position, I try to be the counselor that I never had when I was a student.

Tell us about TRIO Support Services and its work on campus.
Our Mission — SSSP is a federal TRIO grant program that serves first-generation, low-income and disabled students. Its purpose is to provide academic support services to assist undergraduate participants to remain in college and reach the goal of graduation. Retention and graduation are the focus of the program.

At this time, my goals are to continue working as long as I can helping students here at Fresno State to reach their educational and career goals.

Why did you join the Air Force and what was your experience like?
I initially joined the Air Force to gain some guidance and discipline in my life as I did not have any goals at the time. I joined the Air Force in Los Angeles and enlisted for four years.

For basic training, I was stationed at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. Upon completion of basic training, I then went to Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul, Illinois, for my technical training for Non-Destructive Inspection (NDI). During my time in Illinois, I was able to visit Chicago during the weekend with my friends.

After completing my technical training, I reported to my permanent station at MacDill AFB in Tampa, Florida. I got the opportunity to work on the F4 E Phantom jet fighter out on the flight line while the jets were landing and taking off. My job was called Non-Destructive Inspection and our job was to keep the Phantom F4 E jet fighter in the air by testing the structure of the jet non-destructively using x-ray testing, magnetic particle testing, ultrasound testing and oil analysis testing.

The beaches in Florida were beautiful, but sometimes the ocean water was like stepping into a hot bath, especially on the Gulf of Mexico side of Florida. On the east coast of Florida, on the Atlantic side, the water was cold. We would go down to Daytona Beach for spring break or to the Florida Keys to go snorkeling and fishing.

As it was expensive to fly home to California, I used to save up my leave time and go and work at Disney World in Orlando from Thanksgiving until after Christmas. One of the rides I worked on was Space Mountain. When the park closed at night, we used to turn off the lights and go on the ride in the dark.

Upon completion of my enlistment, I was discharged honorably as an E-4 and returned to California and worked at the Chemical Systems Division. We inspected structures for the Titan Missiles and tested the solid propellant used for the fuel systems for the rockets taking up the Space Shuttle.

How does your experience as an Air Force veteran help you to do your job?
The experience I received in the service has prepared me to be able to work with others from different socio-economic backgrounds. I also developed skills in time management as well as how to prioritize my workflow. I learned to push through the difficult and unpleasant circumstances.

When you meet with students, what is your best piece of advice for them?
Never let anyone or anything discourage you from endeavoring to reach your educational and professional dreams. Work hard and never give up.

Life at times can seem to be unfair, but don’t give up, seize the moment. Don’t look back five, 10 and 20 years from now and say, “If only ….”

How can the campus community be more supportive of our veteran students or those in TRIO?
As the counselor for the Student Support Services Program, we do work with military dependents but our sister program Student Support Services Veterans Program works directly with veterans.

Our program does provide academic support to military dependents in the areas of academic, personal and career counseling. In terms of campus support, if we could somehow develop a way to be able to identify military dependents earlier in the registration process I think that would be more beneficial for that target population.

(Editor's note: Campus News accepts nominations for faculty and staff profiles. These stories allow the campus community to learn about the many colleagues who contribute to the success of Fresno State. If you know someone with an interesting story — a passion for helping the community or a cause, a remarkable life journey, or there is just something fascinating about them to share — please email campusnews@csufresno.edu.)