Chez Veterans Center

The Illini Club of San Diego county sponsors a scholarship program that benifits students via the Chez Veterans Center.  The Center was constructed with state-of-the-art technology to accommodate a variety of disabilities.   It features:

• a large lounge for student veterans to study and interact
• a kitchen was constructed to meet or exceed ADA compliance for physical disabilities
• a counseling wing was designed to offer a quiet and private atmosphere for veterans and their families
• a second floor is the gym, which offers a variety of equipment for all types of disabilities
• an Academic and Career Center for Academic Lab and Career Workshops
• fourteen residential units with suites and bathrooms providing state-of-the-art accessibility features, including a remote-controlled SureHands ceiling lift system

For more information about the Chez Veterans Center click on the following topics:

• Facilities
• History
• Programs and Services
• Research
• Chez Veterans Center Staff

John Goeken                                                                                                                                                                                                      

John Goeken the recipient of the San Diego Illini Club 2024-2025 scolarship of $2500.  John is an electrical engineering student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, originally from Desert Hot Springs, California. With 17 years of military and security experience, John served as an infantryman at Twentynine Palms, California in the U.S. Marine Corps, earning a Navy and Marine Achievement Medal with Combat Distinguishing Device and a Purple Heart for actions 

In Afghanistan, John's diverse experience included leadership, problem-solving, and hands-on technical expertise in demanding environments. Prior to studying at Illinois, John attended Baltimore City Community College, where a foundation in electrical engineering was established. Focused on transitioning into engineering, John applies a practical approach to solving real-world challenges by improving existing technologies, with an emphasis on sustainability and efficiency. John’s academic journey is supported by his wife and two children, who inspire his commitment to continuous learning and innovation. 

The San Diego Illini Club received the following letter of graditude from John:

Dear Illini Club of San Diego County,

Receiving your scholarship wasn’t just financial support, it was a reconnection to a place that has shaped me in more ways than I can count.

I’ve spent over two decades in Southern California, growing up in the Coachella Valley, Palm Springs and Desert Hot Springs primarily, was stationed at Twentynine Palms, later lived in Los Angeles with my wife, and staying in San Diego off and on for a number of years, always visiting my brother who lived in Lakeside for over 15 years. SoCal is my home, and San Diego County holds some of my most treasured memories.

From lifelong trips to Pacific Beach and Ocean Beach with my mom, who passed in 2022 due to covid, to my brother’s wedding at Holy Trinity in El Cajon and the reception at Singing Hills, San Diego has been the backdrop for some of the most meaningful moments of my life. He likes to remind me that I even started my Marine Corps journey at boot camp in San Diego, hard to forget, even if I’m getting older. I’ve failed gloriously at the Broken Yolk Challenge in PB, taken long rides through Julian and Anza-Borrego on the 78, and spent countless nights cruising along the coast or enjoying downtown with friends and family.

I used to ride out from 29 Palms to visit my brother’s family, grab sushi at our favorite spots, or catch a double feature at the Santee Drive-In (I hear it’s closed now, sadly). There’s just nothing like riding year-round in SoCal’s weather, wind in your face, ocean to one side, desert to the other. It’s the kind of place that stays with you.

After three combat deployments and two non-combat tours in the U.S. Marine Corps, transitioning to academic life was daunting. I questioned whether I was making the right move. But today, I’m proud to be a student at the University of Illinois, pursuing a degree in Electrical Engineering at the Grainger College of Engineering. I’m a husband, a father of two, and a full-time student trying to absorb as much as I can while navigating parenthood and a demanding academic load. It’s not easy, but it’s the most fulfilling chapter of my life.

Your support makes it possible. Scholarships like yours help ease practical burdens, especially around childcare, which can otherwise be overwhelming. But more than that, your generosity reminds me that people believe in my potential and my path. That’s something I carry with me every day.

San Diego County isn’t just a place I love; it’s part of who I am. Thanks to your support, I feel reconnected to the community I carry in my heart. One day, I hope to give back and help other students build their own bridges between Illinois and Southern California. Until then, please know how deeply grateful my family and I are for the role you’ve played in our journey.

With deep gratitude,
John Kenneth Goeken
Electrical Engineering Undergrad, University of Illinois
Veteran, U.S. Marine Corps