About Today’s Guest
Patrick Forystek is a Marine Corps veteran whose journey from combat deployments to higher education leadership has been shaped by a commitment to service, resilience, and helping others succeed. He served from 2008 to 2012 with 1st Battalion, 11th Marines as an artillery cannoneer and section chief, deploying with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit and later to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Like many veterans, Patrick faced the challenges of transitioning from military service to civilian life and higher education. What began as a search for his own path after the Marine Corps became a calling to help other veterans navigate the same journey. After earning a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Michigan-Flint and a Master of Science in Management from Walsh College, he built a career focused on supporting military-connected students and creating opportunities for them to thrive.
Today, Patrick serves as Director of the Center for Veterans and Military-Affiliated Students at Michigan State University, where he leads programs, partnerships, and initiatives that support more than 2,500 military-connected students. Throughout his career, he has remained motivated by a simple pay-it-forward philosophy: honoring the mentors, educators, and fellow veterans who helped him succeed by ensuring the next generation has access to the same support, guidance, and sense of community.
Patrick's work and advocacy are rooted in the belief that military service does not end when the uniform comes off, but that it evolves into new opportunities to lead, serve, and make a difference in our community and in the lives of others.
PsychArmor Resource of the Week
This week’s PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the PsychArmor course Choosing a College and Major. This course provides service members, Veterans, and their families with tools and resources to assist them in achieving their dreams of higher education
You can find the resource here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/Choosing-a-College-and-Major
Provide Support
Take a moment to turn your gratitude into action. For just $15, you can help provide military culture training to one person who supports veterans and their families, equipping them to respond with greater understanding, confidence, and care. GIVE HERE through our giving page at psycharmor.org.
Provide Feedback
As a dedicated member of the audience, we would like to hear from you. If you PsychArmor has helped you learn, grow, and support those who’ve served and those who care for them, we would appreciate hearing your story. Please follow this link to share how PsychArmor has helped you in your service journey Share PsychArmor Stories
Links Mentioned In This Episode
MSU Center for Veterans and Military-Affiliated Students Website
Theme Music
Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities.
This Episode Sponsored By
Our sponsor this week is Aetna, a trusted health care company, committed to serving Veterans, military families, and caregivers through meaningful, community-centered care.
Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com