a chinese philosopher had a proverb about teaching a man to fish, better than giving a man one and that is going a long way toward helping military veterans make readjustment to civilian life. correspondent kris gutierrez look at a group that is making a difference. >> reporter: when the men and women who serve our country leave the battlefield, transitioning back to civilian life can be difficult. just ask jeff. >> everybody jumped ahead of me. and i was kind of back to where i started before i left. >> reporter: he was in the army national guard. for 16 years. he completed two tours in iraq. and when he returned home, he longed for something more. so at 47 years old, he decided to go back to school, to pursue a career in criminal justice. >> i still want to serve my country. not, you know, might not be in uniform but i want to serve. >> i like your openness to do this... >> reporter: to get started he fond a mentor through the american corporate partners program, or acp. and the program connects servicemen and women with corporate and academic mentors to advise the veterans once they return home and meet at least once a month. to discuss ways of moving up the corp ladder. or, in his case, which courses will get him back into the workplace, the fastest. across the country, acp reports more than 500 veterans are mentored in 15 cities. and corporate partners include news corp., fox's parent company, as well as pepsico, verizon, general electric, and others. and she works at the university of texas at arlington making her the perfect fit to guide him down the road back to school, while building his confidence. >> i don't like to stand out. you know? and, here's a guy, you know, gray hair walking down the hall with his backpack, you know, and, 18, 19-year-old kids... doing the same thing. >> to have people like jeff go through what he has been through, and, sit beside some of our students and some of those -- in some of those classrooms and be able to give a message to some of our students who have not had those experiences, is a win-win for uta. >> reporter: he says his experiences in iraq have changed him. and now his mentor is, too. >> she reinforces the things that i -- ideas i have. >> reporter: in dallas, kris gutierrez, fox news.