VETERAN PROGRAMS | This year marks the 10th anniversary of the LMU Veteran Programs office, created to support student veterans and dependents of veterans navigate college life, and the Student Veteran Organization, a registered student organization dedicated to enriching the lives of its members.
This year also marks the annual celebration of Veteran Appreciation Week that coincides with the national Veterans Day holiday. Every year, LMU honors the veteran community to bring awareness to the population and highlight their incredible contributions to this university.
“It is an honor to support those who have served our country and help them through this next chapter in their lives,” said Lisha Maddox, director of Student Success. “Not every university has an office and staff dedicated to the needs of student veterans. I am proud of LMU’s commitment to our student veterans, for the last 10 years and beyond.”
To celebrate this year, the Veteran Programs office launched a virtual exhibit to showcase student veterans from their time in service to their time at LMU. This exhibit provides a deeper understanding of the skills and talents that student veterans bring to the LMU community.
View the virtual exhibit to read student veteran stories, learn about their experiences and understand how they impact LMU by enriching our community with diverse perspectives and embodying what it means to be people with and for others. Although the celebration looks a little different this year, all students, staff and faculty are invited to share in this moment of gratitude and reflection.
The exhibit also features video conversations with Capt. Travis Schirner, an education officer, recruiting officer, and assistant professor of aerospace studies within The Cadre of Air Force ROTC Detachment 040 at LMU. Watch the virtual meeting with Jamie Albright ’24, a veteran dependent student, as they share their veteran experiences and journey through LMU.
The exhibit also features a video where Roman Broussard ’21 helps the LMU community hear from Brian Reedy, S.J., a lieutenant of the U.S. Navy Chaplain Corps, who has served on the USS Mount Whitney, USS New York, and the USS Ronald Reagan.
Meet three of the student veterans below who are featured in the virtual exhibit.
Pastor Sammie Haynes, graduate student
Major: Theology
“One of my favorite memories in the service was the day of graduation from basic training and AIT,” said Haynes. “My parents and grandparents drove from Georgia to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, for me to look out in the audience to hear them cheering for me.”
Jameson Buelvas ’21
Major: Communication
Buelvas chose LMU mainly for the opportunity to continue working with the Air Force ROTC. He pinpoints that, “becoming a global citizen is probably my favorite Student EXP pillar because I chose communication studies as my major to effectively communicate with people from all walks of life and corners of the globe.”
Emmanuel Roman Broussard ’23
Major: Theatre Arts
“What the military gave me was the ability to embrace the suck. Life sucks sometimes,” said Broussard. “It just does. Things don’t always happen the way you want them to, but you are responsible for your own life.”
Be sure to check out the Veteran Appreciation Week Virtual Exhibit here or the Veteran Programs page to find out more information.
