ODU's Student 退伍军人 of America chapter placed among the top five in the nation.
Sherry Dibari著
The 最靠谱的网赌软件 Student 退伍军人 of America (SVA) chapter was a finalist for the 2019 Chapter of the Year. Out of 1,500 SVA on-campus chapters, only five were selected for the honor.
"When I found out that 最靠谱的网赌软件 was a finalist. 说实话，我当时很震惊. I just sat in my car for like 10 minutes, 强忍泪水, just trying to take in everything,贾斯汀·富尔普说, ODU分会会长. "All of the hard work and long hours for my SVA chapter on top of being active duty (Navy) and being a full-time student had paid off."
The award recognizes chapters that provide peer support, collaboration and advocacy that veterans need for success"through and beyond higher education." A special focus is on groups that empower members by "creating positive change on campus and within the local, 地区或国家社区."
Finalists included Colorado State, Washington-Tacoma, CUNY Medgar Evers College and Northeastern. Colorado State took the Chapter of the Year award.
The award coincided with the annual SVA national conference, the largest gathering of student veterans in the country. Fourteen members of ODU's SVA board traveled to Los Angeles for the event.
In his welcoming remarks, SVA President Jared Lyon, pointed out ODU's focus on inclusiveness.
“完成全部课程, maintaining involvement on campus and working a full- or part-time job can be a lot,他说，“再加上。, over 50% of student veterans have children when they go back to school and it's easy to understand where an inclusive community can make a big difference. This is the true strength of an SVA chapter. 在最靠谱的网赌软件, they are focused on creating an inclusive community for all student veterans, 家庭和盟友."
"We weren't expecting that much of a shout-out," Fulp said.
He wasn't surprised about the focus though. "This (inclusivity) aligns directly with President Broderick's vision," he said.
In its application, the chapter highlighted a few of its many campus and community events. This included the inaugural ODU 军事 Ball, which was free for student veterans and military affiliates. 该活动筹集了1美元,有任务的Mutts 300, a nonprofit that helps pair service dogs with veterans and wounded warriors.
Campus events included a student and faculty discussion on service-animal awareness. The chapter also co-hosted events on mental health, 多样性, military bias and the importance of local voting.
在全国会议上, ODU团队是其中之一,000 student veterans representing on-campus chapters in 50 states and four countries.
The conference focused on both professional development and SVA chapter development. ODU students attended breakout sessions on veterans advocacy and 多样性, 奖学金, 联邦就业, 经验丰富的幸福, campus engagement and professional development.
金·布灵顿·西布森, ODU的SVA章节顾问, 主持了一个名为“斗嘴”的会议, 呻吟, Take Out a Loan: Financial Survival Skills for 研究生 Student 退伍军人." Fulp was on a panel for student leader best practices.
ODU has about 1,400 student veterans and 5,600 military affiliates. The ODU chapter has 250 members and is one of the largest organizations on campus. They work closely with the 军事联络中心 and PAVE (Peer Advisors for 退伍军人 Education). The chapter does not charge dues.
"Our interest is advocacy," Fulp said. "We do have a lot of social events and we promote camaraderie, but the most important thing is to be able to utilize academic success in and out of the classroom."
Learn more about ODU's Student 退伍军人 of America chapter on its 脸谱网 page (http://www.Facebook.com/ODUSVA/) or visit the office in Monarch Hall, Room 1108.
