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When seeking a place to continue his education, former Army Capt. Jeff Gibboni MACC ’26 discovered that Alvernia’s principles felt familiar.

“The Franciscan values line up perfectly with veteran values,” Gibboni said.
“But this place itself is a value.”

Before Gibboni could create his educational comeback at Alvernia, he needed to create a personal one. Post-military, Gibboni battled substance abuse disorder and PTSD and suffered through a divorce. He found fulfilling work with the United States Marshals Service in Philadelphia as chief deputy of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. But he wanted to help those battling the same demons he overcame.

First, he had to overcome his doubts.

“I didn’t believe I could actually do it,” said Gibboni, 49. “Financially, there were a lot of questions; timewise, I had a lot of questions. I was at a decision point in my life. Would I fold up, or would I try to grow through some challenges?”

He chose the latter, aiming to launch a private practice to counsel men currently or formerly in the military and law enforcement.

The southern New Jersey resident has an office in Reading, where he frequently noticed billboards touting Alvernia’s award-winning Create Your Comeback campaign, which spotlights the university’s Graduate & Adult Education programs.

Alvernia’s location was appealing, as was the Master of Arts in Clinical Counseling (MACC) schedule, which features evening classes he could attend twice a week following his workday.

“When I came to Alvernia and discovered the Franciscan values, it aligned so well with my worldview and my experience, and to see them on signposts throughout the campus and embodied by the people I deal with was very reaffirming,” he said. “Once I got here, it was good experience after good experience after good experience.”

‘There’s something special going on here’

Gibboni served in the U.S. Army from 1997 through 2001, earning a Ranger tab — a qualification tab the Army awards to soldiers who complete Ranger School — along the way. He attended Hardin-Simmons University, a liberal arts institution in Abilene, Texas, on a ROTC scholarship. The Army then paid for him to earn a Master of Science in Education.

He didn’t expect his past to intersect with his present as much as it has, but he’s thrilled about it.
 

“I came here with a practical outlook,” he said. “This school checked a lot of boxes for me. But there’s just something extra here, and it makes me want to put the word out and say ‘Hey, vets, there’s something special going on here.’”

In 2024-25, Alvernia was recognized as a Military Friendly® School for the 12th consecutive year, also earning a national endorsement in military support from Colleges of Distinction.

The university’s Veterans Center recently moved to an upgraded space in Bernardine Hall, offering vets a comfortable place to study and socialize. Gibboni takes advantage of the site every day he commutes to campus, finishing homework before heading to class.

He also makes it a point to visit the POW/MIA Chair of Honor, which acknowledges veterans who are prisoners of war or missing in action, in the Francis Hall lobby. He calls the display a powerful motivator.

“As I come onto campus Tuesday and Thursday evenings, tired and often feeling sorry for myself, I look at that empty chair reserved for a brother or sister in arms who can’t go to class,” said Gibboni, who spoke at the university’s 2024 Veterans Day ceremony.

His high expectations for the MACC program were exceeded. Gearing up for his final year, he has begun seeking a site to fulfill his practicum requirements. A recent interview with a private practice went better than expected, with Gibboni saying he felt overprepared.

While giving kudos to the MACC staff, he spotlighted Nicole Hall, Ph.D., the program’s director. He appreciates that she runs her own business in addition to her teaching duties.

“Since entering, Jeff has consistently demonstrated a high level of engagement and intellectual curiosity in the MACC program,” Hall said. “His dedication to mastering the complexities of counseling theories, concepts and techniques sets him apart, making him exceptionally well suited for a career in the counseling field. He is deeply valued in the program by his peers and professors. There is no doubt that he will make a meaningful impact on his future clients and the field as a whole.”

Gibboni’s comeback was also aided by Alvernia’s Preferred Partnership, through which the university partners with regional companies and organizations, offering a 20% tuition discount to employees.

“Being at Alvernia and being an older student, I have a much better appreciation for a college experience,” he said. “It’s almost like getting a chance to do it right the second time.”