Diana Towles Helps Veterans Thrive at ULV

Outside the Abraham Center for Veteran Student Success, Diana Towles brings her own military experience to her role as a mentor and advocate. (ULV Photo/Claudia Gonzalez)

A veteran herself, Towles supports students as they navigate the path from military service to academic and professional success.

At the University of La Verne, Diana Towles has built more than a support center, she has cultivated a community. As coordinator of the Abraham Center for Veteran Student Success, Towles draws on her own military experience to guide student veterans through one of the most complex transitions of their lives: from structured service to independent civilian and academic life.

“I love this work,” Towles said, reflecting on the students she serves. Veterans, she explained, arrive with a level of focus and discipline that sets them apart. “They come here with a purpose. They want to finish their degrees, and they support each other every step of the way.”

That peer support is central to the Abraham Center’s mission. Veterans tutor one another, share resources, and step in when someone is struggling. Towles and her team reinforce that network with highly personalized guidance, walking students through paperwork, offering flexible advising, and helping them rebuild confidence after years in a system where decisions were often made for them. “We don’t do it for them,” she said. “We sit next to them while they do it, so they gain that confidence.”

Towles’ path to this role was not straightforward. A U.S. Army veteran who served as a communications specialist, she initially worked in the university president’s office before applying for the newly created veteran services position. Over time, Towles has helped the university strengthen its identity as a veteran-serving institution.  

ULV has more than 45 years of experience partnering with military installations, educating thousands of service members across California. Today, its satellite campuses at Naval Base Ventura County serve more than 430 military-affiliated students, while new opportunities are emerging to expand programs at additional bases. 

“We’ve always understood their needs,” she said. “If they’re deployed, we hold their place. If they move across the country, we help them stay on track. That’s just what we do.”

Beyond logistics, however, her work is deeply personal. She often acts as an advocate, stepping in when students face financial challenges, bureaucratic delays, or even moments of crisis. In one case, she helped a student secure emergency funding to retrieve a towed car, guiding him through multiple agencies to resolve the issue. In another, she connected a student experiencing post-traumatic stress with immediate counseling support. 

These interventions reflect her core philosophy: that success for veterans requires both structure and empathy. Many struggle not with academics, but with the cultural shift to civilian life, navigating workplace norms, rebuilding community, and translating military experience into professional language. 

“The hardest part is making sure they find jobs that match their skills,” Towles said. “They’re not entry-level, they bring real experience. We have to help them find the right fit.”  

Despite the challenges, Towles remains optimistic. She describes ULV as an “aspirational” institution – one that continually looks for ways to better serve its students. For the veterans who pass through the Abraham Center, Towles is more than a coordinator. She is a mentor, an advocate, and, as many of her students would say, someone who “has their back.” 

“I believe in what we’re doing,” she said. “I want them to succeed – here and beyond. That’s what matters most.”