Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox.
Subscribe to our newsletter here.

Syracuse University hosted its annual Veterans Day Celebration Monday morning, welcoming student veterans to reflect on their service. SU also hosted alumna Lt. Col. Theresa Cross as the event’s keynote speaker.

Around 350 students, faculty and community members gathered in the National Veterans Resource Center for the celebration, hosted by SU’s Office of Veteran and Military Affairs. The ceremony featured speeches from veterans on the themes of service, loyalty and the university’s commitment to supporting those who have served.

Chancellor Kent Syverud opened the event by describing SU’s position as a civilian institution committed to veteran support. SU states it is “one of the best private schools for veterans.”

Syverud also encouraged attendees to honor the service member’s sacrifices and stand “between their loved homes and the war’s desolation,” both on Veterans Day and in everyday life.

Cross then shared her journey going from military service to academic life at SU. After eight years in the United States Army, including tours in Panama and Bosnia, she transitioned to campus through the Army’s Green to Gold program, an initiative that enables active-duty soldiers to earn a degree and achieve officer status.

At SU, she said she had to balance her life as a college junior with being both a mother and veteran. But, she still described her two years in SU’s Army ROTC program as a means for self-development and building relationships.

Dwayne Murray, OVMA’s deputy director, expressed his commitment to the office’s mission of supporting veteran and military-connected students as they transition to SU.

Murray, a retired lieutenant colonel and SU alum, said he hopes to empower veterans and bring their “time, talents, and treasures” back to the university community.

“Veterans Day is about remembering my service, but also those who still serve and those we’ve lost,” Murray said.

Murray said the ceremony acts as a reminder to continue serving in all areas of life and a call to support all veterans, whether alumni or current students.

Lars Jendruschewitz | Photo Editor

Around 350 students, faculty and community members gathered in the National Veterans Resource Center for the celebration, hosted by SU’s Office of Veteran and Military Affairs.

Later in the ceremony, Leonel Aviles, a junior and president of SU’s Student Veterans Organization, described the importance of student involvement in veteran affairs.

Aviles said he believes SVO plays an invaluable role in helping veterans transition to civilian and academic life. Founded in 2009, the organization provides a space where veterans can connect, share their experiences and support one another, according to its website.

Aviles said SU’s commitment to veterans extends well beyond the Veterans Day ceremony, with resources such as the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families and the Office of Veteran Success.

The IVMF also offers programs such as the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for veterans, designed to help members and their families develop careers after military service, Aviles said.

As the ceremony concluded, veterans were invited to stand as the 198th Army Band played the service anthem for each branch of the military. Afterward, Hendricks Chapel Dean Brian Konkol gave a benediction.

“I learned a lot in the Army — not just Spanish or intelligence skills, but the value of teamwork, loyalty and service,” Cross said. “Not just to the country, the Constitution or the Army, but also to my fellow service members.”

Published on November 12, 2024 at 1:29 am

Contact Kymani: kkhughes@syr.edu