Letter from the Student Veterans Association President
Hey everyone, Student Veterans Association (SVA) President Jonathan here! I wanted to tell you about our “March on Washington” earlier last month. The officers of our organization went to Washington, D.C to discuss with our (and your) representatives, including Congressman Ben Cline, Senator Warner and Senator Kaine. I want you to know we are lobbying for all Veterans, Dependents and their families. A few of the many topics we discussed during our visit were, reinstating the “break pay” as an opt-in option, the delay in approval for medications, and Veterans having limited opportunities to secure appointments with mental health specialists. We were able to make many connections with fellow veteran students from VCU, ODU, and UVA. We met a few SVA members from across the US and learned how they function in their universities. Overall, the day was a great learning experience for me and my fellow SVA officers. Our hope is that more of our veteran students can join us next year.
On March 28, Monica Pangle and Michaela Messick attended Virginia Commonwealth University's Green Zone training. This training workshop is put on by the university to teach Faculty and Staff about the military student experience. The training lasted 1.5 hours. Once completed the faculty and staff member will then be added to a Green Zone trained list, so that military students know where to find individuals who have been trained to provide added support. Faculty and staff will be given a sticker to place in a noticeable location to be easily identified. The training allowed Monica and Michaela to learn what the process is, as they work to develop a similar model for use here on JMU’s campus. Please be on the lookout to learn more about this opportunity in the coming months.
We are pleased to announce that JMU VALOR has been awarded the silver rating for Military Friendly Schools. We were able to maintain our silver status from last year! Military Friendly® is a standard that measures an organization’s commitment, effort, and success in creating sustainable and meaningful benefits for the military community. Over 1,500 organizations compete annually for Military Friendly® designation. The program creates civilian opportunities for veterans by promoting a standard and raising the bar over time. It provides long term, positive reinforcement for American organizations to invest in programs that improve the lives of veterans.
A special Thank you to these individuals for their help with this lengthy application.
Dr. Miller, VP Student Affairs, Kelly Hollembeak, Lauren Houff; JMU Certifying Officials in the Registrar’s office, Michael Dondzile; Career Center, Meg Nyce, Sindhu Sai Sangani, Stephanie Stevens, Lou Hedrick; Office of Planning, Analytics & Institutional Research, Roger Burke; Admissions, Monica Pangle; JMU VALOR Coordinator.
Upcoming Events
Barks of VALOR
April 14 | 11–11:30 a.m. | JMU VALOR Resource Center
SVA General Meeting
April 14 | 3–4 p.m. | JMU VALOR Resource Center
VA Works
April 15 | 10 a.m.–2 p.m. | JMU VALOR Resource Center
Assisting Veterans with Job related items.
VALOR Earth Day Event
April 21 | 4-5:00 p.m. JMU VALOR Resource Center
We will be crafting something from recycled materials. All are welcome.
Do Good with Chipotle
April 23 | 5–9 p.m. | 1615 Reservoir St, Harrisonburg, VA 22801
Join the JMU SVA for this Chipotle fundraiser — 25% of the event sales will be donated. Order online for pickup using code K8ZDKM7.
SVA Hangout
April 25 | starts at 5 p.m. |Follow @jmusva on Instagram for the location.
Join SVA for a chance to develop community with other veteran students.
JMU VALOR Academic Recognition Celebration
May 13 | 5:30–7:30 p.m. | The Union, Taylor 405
This event lets us celebrate JMU VALOR seniors. This is also when we award seniors with a JMU VALOR or JMU Veteran cord. Light refreshments will be available.
About The JMU VALOR Resource Center
The JMU VALOR Resource Center is located in The Union, Taylor Down Under.
The JMU VALOR Resource Center is proud to host the Virginia Department of Veterans Services (VDVS). There will be a staffer in the Resource Center Monday to Thursday. On Monday and Tuesday, Virginia Veterans Family Support staffers will be represented and on Wednesday and Thursday a VDVS Benefits staffer will be in office. Appointments can be made through the Staunton VDVS Office (540-332-8900).
The Resource Center provides study space, a fridge with free snacks and drinks, an office for the JMU VALOR staff, couches, free printing and even a massage chair to relax. It is open 24 hours a day and all military connected students, faculty, and staff are welcome. Fill out and submit this form to request access.
STAFF SUPPORT
Dr. Bruce E. Mitchell II | Associate Vice President for Accessibility and Belonging | mitch3be@jmu.edu
Monica Pangle | Coordinator | JMU VALOR | pangl2ml@jmu.edu
Helpful Links