WUVets, a veterans group at Washington University in St. Louis, was named Chapter of the Year by the Student Veterans of America (SVA), a national organization that provides resources and scholarships to college veterans. WUVets leaders James Petersen and Jennifer Goetz, both students at the Brown School, accepted the award Jan. 7 at the SVA National Conference in Anaheim, Calif.
“It was awesome to speak to 1,600 student veterans from across the country,” Petersen said. “As veterans, we know how important organizations like ours can be in reaching and supporting veterans, especially those who feel isolated on a college campus.”
WUVets joined SVA’s 1,500 chapters only last year. In that time, it hosted the biggest Veterans Day event in recent campus history. An overflow crowd of elected officials, university students and employees, and members of the general public gathered to hear a panel of combat veterans share stories of battle, honor and friendship.
WUVets also is working with university leaders to launch “Veteran Ally” training, which will help faculty and staff better understand the issues veterans face in college. That commitment to quality programming, service and communication is what set WUVets apart, said Barrett Y. Bogue of SVA.
“The competition was tough, but WUVETS stood the highest because of their engagement at all levels of their university on behalf of student veterans,” Bogue said. “We’re so proud of them and can’t wait to see what they accomplish in 2017.”
Read Petersen’s story and more about WUVets in the Source.