GVSU receiving recognition for veterans' initiatives

President Philomena V. Mantella welcomed students, faculty and staff who have served in the U.S. armed forces or are currently serving to the 13th Annual Veterans Breakfast on November 10 at the Alumni House.

Mantella remarked that seeing her father and uncles serve in the military resonated deeply throughout her life. 

“I think it inspires the work I do in a way that I really didn't know because I just was so profoundly impacted by the sacrifices that one family could make,” Mantella said. “They continued to live productive lives and continued to serve.

"I think that is so profound about our veterans. It’s your inclination, it’s in your DNA, to continue to serve. We are so proud to support you with our actions, not just our words.”  

Also offering remarks with Mantella were guest speaker Jason Redman, a retired naval officer and former Navy SEAL; Shane Scherer, ’11 , GVSU’s new director of the Peter Secchia Military and Veteran Resource Center; and Nick Adams, a fellow in the Peter C. Cook Leadership Academy and a former Marine. 

Redman also served as the keynote speaker for the Hauenstein Center’s annual Veterans Day event on November 10, detailing his experiences serving in the military. 

“Since the beginning of this great country, it's been men and women willing to sacrifice our most precious asset — our own lives — which has paved the way for our country to be what it is today,” Redman said. 

Mantella affirmed the university’s direction to be the best in the Midwest for the service of veterans, highlighting recent initiatives benefiting student veterans on campus.

“We are beginning to be seen as an organization that supports veterans,” Mantella said.

In recent years, Mantella has announced programs to help student veterans access higher education and build a career following graduation: 

• GVSU’s Veteran Promise is a deferred admission plan with a guaranteed spot to attend Grand Valley following the student’s service. GVSU is the first university in the nation to offer such a program.
• Veterans Advance allows student veterans the opportunity to gain work experience while earning a degree from the university.

This week, Military Times recognized Grand Valley on its 2023 Best for Vets: Colleges list, and the Battle Creek Area Chamber of Commerce honored GVSU's Michigan Veteran Entrepreneur-Lab with a Community Service Award during the 67th Annual Armed Forces Appreciation Luncheon at Firekeepers Casino Hotel.

In August, the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency awarded Grand Valley with its highest honor for Veteran-Friendly Schools for the ninth consecutive year. 

And, the number of veterans and military-affiliated students in the 2023-2024 incoming class was up 19 percent, said Mantella. 

“I hope I've set a tone that this is important to us,” Mantella said. “This is about our mission as a university. This is about who we are.

“One of the things that drew me to Grand Valley is the values of the community. This is another expression of those values."