Call to action for student veterans

ByALEX HORTON
VAntage Point
As the population of student veterans continues to grow at hundreds of campuses across the country, so does the need to tell our side of the story. It’s an important thing to get right; student vet graduates are a pool of job seekers, and employers need to see us as dedicated and capable applicants.
This is something you can help affect right now, in two ways. The first is to connect with American public media to share your challenges, experiences, and triumphs as a student with military experience. I hear plenty of folks that suggest journalists can’t or won’t get it right, so this is an opportunity to correct the record.
The second is to set yourself up for success on campus to make it through graduation in the first place. Georgetown’s SVA faculty advisor Barbara Mujica gave a good rundown on how you can step up to increase resources and visibility of veterans on campus, with everything from starting a local SVA chapter to establishing lines of communication with administrative offices and faculty.
One thing I’d add: look into opportunities with the Pat Tillman Foundation’s Military Scholars program, an elite class of students who are already leading the way. Applications for this year’s class are open through tomorrow.
If you’re unhappy with how student veterans are portrayed in the media, or how your school administration performs, now’s the time to be proactive.