The Division of Access and Opportunity held a welcome event for OU’s new Military Connected and Veteran Student Success Center Thursday.
This center will serve as an opportunity for military-connected individuals at OU to find mentorship and a roadmap for education while in the military.
Held in Headington Hall, the event featured keynote speakers including Jonathan Still, associate director of military initiatives, assessment and research. OU Vice Presidents Belinda Higgs Hyppolite and Jeff Blahnik and OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. also spoke.
“We aim to serve those who have served,” Still said.
The Military Connected and Veteran Student Success Center aims to provide support and resources for the military community on campus.
“I’m so proud of this program. … It is an investment and a signal that you’re not just welcome here, you’re not just someone we’d like to have here, but there is an actual investment,” Harroz said.
According to Still, creators of the center have worked tirelessly to ensure a space for OU military personnel to value both their education and their time spent in the military.
“Connecting to military-connected students and to veterans is really important,” said Katy Koontz, account executive for the Division of Access and Opportunity.
Veteran Jesse Gale said the center has the opportunity to encourage and educate the younger generation of active military members.
“It opens the door to mentorship in a way that many of these younger veterans don’t have,” Gale said. “The primary benefit (of the center) is having the community, so that you know what’s available to you.”
This story was edited by Anusha Fathepure, Ismael Lele, Peggy Dodd and Ana Barboza. Grace Rhodes copy edited this story.
