Guest Blogger: Matthew Feger, Director of Development, Student Veterans of America
On July 24, the Pat Tillman Foundation, Student Veterans of America and Operation College Promise will formally launch the Education Pillar of the Got Your 6 campaign with hundreds of student veterans, participating universities and colleges, members of Congress, celebrity partners and many others.
The evening will kickoff the Education Pillar’s collection of 500 pledges from Institutions of Higher Learning who commit to implementing or enhancing resources, programs and policies to support their student veteran population.
The Pillar partners also will showcase the student veterans and Tillman Military Scholars from across the nation who are achieving academic excellence due in large part to their own talents, but also because they have access to a peer-support network and attend institutions that have implemented programs that assist student veterans. Roughly 25 such schools have already signed the Education Pillar’s pledge and they will be revealed on July 24.
To conclude the launch event, student veterans from SVA and Tillman Military Scholars will share their personal stories of transition and will be accompanied on stage by a special celebrity guest.
The Pillar’s launch event will come on the heals of two major events for both Student Veterans of America and the Pat Tillman Foundation.
SVA is hosting its annual Leadership Institute from July 19-22 at Google’s Headquarters in Mountain View, CA. Fifty chapter leaders from across the nation will come together to receive one of the most unique training programs for student veterans that has been created to date. Purdue University’s Military Family Research Institute and SVA created a curriculum that teaches student veteran leaders how to “design, develop and deliver” a thriving student veteran organization. All 50 leaders will be empowered to create a business plan for their chapter that is focused on sustainability and changing the landscape of their institution to be more supportive of student veterans.
The third annual Pat Tillman Leadership Summit will take place July 22-24, 2012 at the University of Maryland in College Park. More than 100 Tillman Military Scholars, Foundation board members and staff and representatives of the Foundation’s 14 University Partners will take part in the three day annual Summit. Attendees will participate in leadership development and job skills workshops and volunteer to help with service projects throughout the area. In addition, Tillman Military Scholars will meet with key U.S. Congressional members to share their personal experiences and to bring awareness to the leadership roles filled by veterans and military spouses in today’s society.
Any individual interested in attending should email info@pattillmanfoundation.org to RSVP.
