“Veteran’s Day reminds us of everyone’s courage, resiliency, and unwavering commitment to protect our freedoms — not just for a day, but for generations to come,” opened Associate Chancellor Harry Anderson.
The University of Wisconsin-Superior hosted a Veterans Day ceremony in conjunction with an award presentation of the Henry Blomberg Excellence in Service Awards on Monday, Nov. 11. The ceremony opened with the presentation of colors and UWS senior Seth Gudmunsen sang the national anthem.
“It’s very important that we do this year, but to remember why we do is another thing,” said Interim Veteran and Nontraditional Student Programs Coordinator Gabriel Sexton. “There’s a lot of students here that are veterans. I think one of the biggest things you can do is thank them for all of the freedom that you have, and that we get to enjoy.”
Before the award ceremony, guest speaker SSGT Jake Theivagt, a UWS graduate, about the history of the day. Veterans Day started at the end of World War 1 and was originally called “Armistice Day.” The day would later be recognized as a nationally in 1938. But it wasn’t until 1954 under presidency of the Eisenhower Administration where the day was renamed and looked to recognize all veterans who served in any U.S. conflict.
After the ceremony, students, staff, and supporting family and community members gathered outside with the color guard to bring the campus flag to half-staff to honor all veterans.
Earlier this year, UW-Superior was designated a Military Friendly Gold School for the 15th year in a row. “This ranking shows that during the past 15 years, our institution has invested in serving our veterans and…” military-connected students,” said Salisa Hochstetler, the UWS director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, in a press release. Military Friendly found that UWS eases the transition process for veteran students with Veteran’s Transition courses and has a dedicated staff member to assist students with securing GI Bill benefits and admission processes.
Michelle White, a UWS online veteran student, made the trek from Appleton, Wis., to Superior for the campus ceremony and recognition of Veterans Day. She said that although she doesn’t get to enjoy amenities like the Veterans and Nontraditional Student Center (VNSC), the university’s support for veteran students made the transition back to the States easier. “Being back stateside was hard, but the school made it so easy to feel like we have other veterans to talk to if you’re having a hard time,” said White.
UWS offers coaching programs, like Sucess Net, for both veteran and nontraditional students. To enroll in Sucess Net, visit the Veteran Resources tab on the campus website.
