Student Veterans with David

Transcript

Let’s all welcome David, an Air Force veteran who has found support and community among other student veterans on campus. Shawnee State has an active veteran population with a student-led organization, dedicated lounge space and increased leadership opportunities. With a committed staff to help the transition into student life, veterans have the support they need to succeed. David, take it away.

– Hey, thank you, Alex. One of the main reasons I decided to go to Shawnee State was because of the awesome benefits and opportunities veterans have here, including assistance through the Office of Military and Veteran Services here on campus. Us veterans here at Shawnee State get the social, academic, physical and emotional support they may need to transition from military life to college life. Student veterans have a variety of opportunities here. One of these opportunities led me to join the Student Veterans of America. I quickly became the president of our chapter, and in my first term as president, I got the amazing opportunity to go to Washington DC to represent our college and to attend a leadership institute. I learned so many skills, like how to build the perfect team and how to be a fantastic leader. Now, I get to use those skills and share them with my colleagues. It has helped me grow, not only as a person but as a leader. Another opportunity us veterans have here at Shawnee State is to lead and provide service through volunteer work. We created a Service Corps, which is dedicated to volunteering and community service, and we have begun organizing events that all students can join in helping. Our most recent one was helping clear debris from Portsmouth’s historic Greenlawn Cemetery following heavy rains that came through our region as a result of Hurricane Helene. I’ve learned a lot here at Shawnee State. Most importantly has been that leaders don’t just lead a group; they work alongside people and learn about them so they can lead them in such a way that helps each and every member of the team grow. I’ll let you take the lead now. Alex, back to you.

– That’s great, David. Bringing opportunities for veterans to enhance their student life is the reason Shawnee State has been designated a Military-Friendly Campus. No matter where you are in your military career, Shawnee makes the next step easy. Thank you for sharing David, and more importantly, thank you for your service.