VETERAN SERVICES
The New York Film Academy (NYFA) has been privileged to enroll nearly 2000 veteran students and military dependents at our campuses in New York City, NY; Los Angeles, California and South Beach, FL., since 2009. The Los Angeles and South Beach campuses also participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program which allows eligible veterans and dependents in many cases the opportunity to go to school for tuition and fee free. The honorable Colonel Jack Jacobs, Medal of Honor recipient and on-air military strategist for NBC/MSNBC, is the Chair of the NYFA Veterans Advancement Program.
NYFA’s Division of Veterans Services (DVS) has been able to bring unique opportunities to its veterans students while supporting the veteran community. Examples of these include, the DVS welcomed the Casting Society of America (CSA) to the College’s campus in Burbank, CA for a panel discussion specifically tailored for military veterans. Additionally, The New York Film Academy (NYFA) was privileged to host the 2017 Writers Guild Foundation (WGF) Veterans Writing Retreat at the College’s campus in Burbank, CA. NYFA’s media content team and an all-veteran student crew filmed the event, which provided the vet students studying Filmmaking, Documentary, and Producing at NYFA with the valuable hands-on experience of working a large-scale production event. The DVS has also collaborated with Veterans in Media and Entertainment to host exclusive workshops for veterans interested in the entertainment industry.
NYFA’s DVS has also collaborated with Hire Heroes USA (HHUSA) to host daylong exclusive employment workshops for NYFA’s veteran students that provide important skills and knowledge to support them post graduation. The DVS has also worked with major studios including Lionsgate, Voltage Pictures, Mar Vista Entertainment and many others to provide internship opportunities to our veteran students.
Several award-winning actors including Joe Mantegna, Stephen Lang and Joe Lisi have joined the New York Film Academy to support our veterans program and veteran students.
Department Personnel
John Powers, Director, Office of Veterans Services
john.powers@nyfa.edu
John T. Powers is a veteran's advocate who currently serves as the Director of Veterans Services at the New York Film Academy's Los Angeles campus. Powers received his bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Rhode Island and his master's degree from Rhode Island College. In his current position, Powers is responsible for coordinating all aspects of the veterans program at the Los Angeles campus. He also provides leadership to the New York Film Academy's Office of Veterans Services, which recruits, retains, and provides support services to veteran students.
Powers previously served as the co-founder and executive director of Student Veterans of America, a national coalition of student veteran organizations from college campuses across the country. He was also an advisory council member to the Military Family Research Institute. Additionally, in 2009, Powers formed the consulting company Operation Vets, working with more than 35 higher education institutions and college systems to develop programs to support veterans on campus. He has contributed to numerous grant review committees, and regularly presents at state and national conferences focusing on veterans' reintegration issues and education.
Eric Brown, Outreach Associate, Office of Veteran Services
eric.brown@nyfa.edu
Eric Thomas Brown was born and raised in Miami, Florida, and is a decorated Navy veteran, with deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). He is a graduate of the New York Film Academy in Acting for Film, and is a passionate veterans advocate. In Brown's current position as a Veterans Coordinator, he is responsible for assisting in the coordination of NYFA's efforts to educate those currently serving in the United States military, veterans, and their family members, about the educational programs offered at the New York Film Academy.
Michael Kunselman, Veterans Coordinator, Office of Veterans Services
michael.kunselman@nyfa.edu
Michael Kunselman, originally from Mantua, Ohio, served seven years in the U.S. Navy as an air traffic controller. He was stationed on board the USS Kitty-Hawk and at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. After being honorably discharged, Michael moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting. Since arriving in Los Angeles, Kunselman has appeared in numerous indie short films, features, TV shows, plays, and commercials. He is a member of SAG-AFTRA.
If you have any questions or need more information, please contact the Veterans Services Office at (818) 333-3558 or via email at veteran@nyfa.edu. You may also stop by our office on the 1st floor of the Riverside building.