Friends, family, faculty and staff gathered at the Kirkhof Center on April 22 to honor and celebrate 19 Laker veterans and service members who will be graduating during commencement ceremonies this weekend.
The Veteran Graduation Celebration at the Kirkhof Center was the first on campus in several years, said Shane Scherer, director of the Peter Secchia Military and Veteran Resource Center at GVSU.
The event included congratulatory remarks from President Philomena V. Mantella and President Emeritus Thomas J. Haas, a Coast Guard veteran, as well as a playful “Waddle of Honor” during which 100 military-themed rubber ducks were released on to Zumberge Pond as a “senior send off.” (A protective barrier helped prevent the ducks from floating downstream into area waterways)
The 19 graduates recognized Monday included three from the Air Force, 11 from the Army, one from the Coast Guard, two from the Marine Corps and two from the Navy. Each received honorary cords that may choose to wear during commencement ceremonies on Friday and Saturday.
“Student veterans work very hard to get their degrees, many of them work full or part-time," Scherer said. "They are likely older than the typical GVSU student, they might be married or they have families, so the number of potential barriers they face to derail their academic journey is significant. The Military & Veterans Resource Center wanted to acknowledge this significant accomplishment and give back by serving those that served one last time while they were at GVSU.”
During the 2023-2024 academic year, more than 400 veterans and service members were enrolled at GVSU.
The Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency has recognized Grand Valley with its highest honor for Veteran-Friendly Schools (VFS) for nine consecutive years .
More information about services offered for veterans, service members and their families is available at GVSU’s Secchia MVRC website .
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