Virginia Wesleyan University will honor Marlin veterans and active duty service members with a ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 11, at 12 p.m. at the Godwin Hall Lawn.
Veterans Day is a federal holiday in the United States observed each year on Nov. 11. The Virginia Wesleyan community plans to recognize that day and its purpose of honoring veterans and bringing awareness to their sacrifices with this ceremony.
This event is being coordinated by a team on campus including Marion Hibbler, director of lifelong learning, Courtney Knudsen, first-year advisor and Jennifer Sands, Veterans Affairs school certifying official and financial aid counselor.
The ceremony will honor the commitment and sacrifices that veterans and active duty service members have made and will continue to make. “The ceremony is an opportunity for the campus community to pause, and say thank you for your service, and say as a community we appreciate you,” Hibbler said.
Hibbler shared what she hopes students will learn from this ceremony. “I hope students take away an understanding of the debt of gratitude we owe to our veterans and active duty service members as well as the reservist. If it were not for their service, we would not enjoy the freedoms that we
have today,” Hibbler said.
Alumnus Gavin Steel will be the keynote speaker at this ceremony to remind
our campus community about the importance of Veterans Day. Steel is a member of the Armed Forces. He currently serves in the Army National Guard after receiving his rank as Second Lieutenant in the US Army through the Army ROTC joint program through Virginia Wesleyan University and Old Dominion University.
VWU President Scott Miller will be present at this event as well and he explained why we need to host an event like this on our campus. “It’s important to recognize how proud we are of the men and women, alumni, students, parents, faculty and staff who have served our country and
defended our freedom,” Miller said.
Miller also expressed what he hoped students will be able to take from this ceremony. “Our event honors the true meaning of Veterans Day, and I hope students carry the meaning, along with a sense of gratitude for the many people who have served in the military, throughout their lives,” Miller
said.
*At the time of publication of this issue,
this event had not yet occurred*
BY JADE EAST
jseast@vwu.edu
Image Courtesy of Kathleen Vanden Berg | Marlin Chronicle
