Veterans Week 2021
Running from Monday, November 8 through Saturday, November 13, Veterans Week 2021 was packed with events and activities. Wellness and Prevention Services provided massage chairs to the SVRC for the week and the Marine Corps Officer Program visited campus with Flight Simulators from Tuesday to Friday. The Flight Simulators were a big hit, too - even Coach Clark took a turn flying! The Career Development Center also assisted with Veterans Week Programming by offering a series of workshops designed for student veterans.
On Tuesday, November 9, we partnered with Rivers Street Ale House to host a pancake breakfast for our student veterans. Over 30 folks came out to enjoy pancakes, sausage patties, orange juice, and coffee. Student Affairs staff from the Office of the Dean of Students and from the Central Office helped with the event. Guest chefs, Vice-Chancellor JJ Brown and Josh Cutchens from Student Conduct, made all of the pancakes.
Another highlight of Veterans Week was our annual Veterans Day Ceremony. This year’s keynote speaker was Mrs. Barbara Ashley, a 35 year active duty spouse. Mrs. Ashley shared touching remarks about her experiences as a military spouse with the more than 100 members of the Appalachian Community who were in attendance. Her unique perspective provided insight into the lives of military families across the nation.
We closed out the week strong with two amazing events: the FIRST EVER Military Mountaineer Homecoming and our annual Heroes Day Tailgate. On Friday night, we welcomed current and former student veterans to campus for an evening of fun and fellowship as we celebrated the 5 year anniversary of the opening of the SVRC. Finally, we hosted nearly 80 people at the McKinney Alumni Center for the Heroes Day Tailgate on Saturday morning.