With Veterans Day around the corner, the UWG Center for Adult Learners and Veterans (CALV) gears its focus on those who have served and protected our country. CALV has a number of events planned for the week of Veterans day to honor our nation’s Veterans. Their work, however extends well beyond Veterans Day. Headed by Director Danny Gourley, CALV is constantly looking at ways to get veterans educated and have partnered with the university to implement a series of programs the benefit veterans by attending school at UWG.
On Veterans Day, a number of large restaurant chains honor our veterans by giving them free meals with proof of Military ID, but CLAV is looking to expand that gesture even more. They have arranged for Veterans to have a free lunch on Nov. 9 and give them a breakfast on Nov. 10.
“We wanted them to have a couple meals on us the days before Veterans day, which leads into our ceremony on Friday, Nov. 11,” said Gourley.
The November 11 holiday will feature events not only honoring our living Veterans, but for our fallen heroes as well. The ceremonies start at 9:15 a.m. on the Campus Center back patio with a presentation of the colors. Dr. Jane Marrero, Music instructor at UWG and Opera singer, will perform the national anthem before her spouse and University President Dr. Kyle Marrero will address the veterans and those attending. The mood will go somber as time will be taken to honor our fallen veterans as well.
“Because the University is closed on Memorial Day, we never really have a chance to honor our fallen Veterans,” said Gourley. “We always make sure we reserve the beginning of the ceremony to acknowledge our fallen veterans before we focus on the current Veterans and celebrate those who are still here, whether they be student, staff or faculty.”
A group of five UWG band students have also volunteered to form a brass quintet which will perform during the Friday festivities.
Not only does the University do a great job of honoring our veterans the week of Veterans Day, but they also assist them with gaining an education after they serve. According to Gourley, UWG offers things like priority registration and out-of-state waivers, which means, they get top register for classes before regular students as well as pay in-state tuition no matter where they live. In addition to that, UWG offers Exemption of mandatory fees for military tuition assistance. Many veterans have programs that help them pay for their tuition, but there are still many expenses that come with attending a university, like textbooks and additional fees. UWG offers waivers of those fees to make college at UWG more affordable for our valued Vets.
Once they are in school, CLAV continues to assist veterans by helping them find employment. CLAV hosts recruiting events that bring in companies looking to hire people exclusively with military experience. In the Military, soldiers, airmen, marines and seamen all develop a certain discipline and work skills that serve certain job better than others.
“These companies know what they are getting when they recruit military veterans,” said Gourley. “They know they are getting somebody who is hardworking, disciplined and skilled, because they have already been tested in the military, no matter what their concentration was.”
With the help of CLAV, UWG is brightening the future of American veterans at the UWG.
