Veterans Day events around the system honor service to country

With events ranging from tree-plantings to military honor guards, community colleges around Virginia devoted time this month to pay tribute to those who have served the nation in uniform. Veterans Day ceremonies on campus saluted service members generally, and in some cases individually. Ceremonies at Brightpoint Community College paid homage to a former marine who went on to serve our system in an important leadership role.

Brightpoint honored Greer Saunders, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served in the State Attorney General's Office and who led the VCCS legal department for 12 years as System Counsel, until her untimely death last July. She was 58.

"We still miss her so much," said Greer's mother, Rosa Bullock. Mrs. Bullock was on hand at Brightpoint's Chester campus November 11 with other family members to plant a memorial tree, and to help present Brightpoint students with $2,000 checks from the newly established Greer Saunders Success Fund.

The Virginia Foundation for Community College Education hopes to make the grant awards an annual event to honor Saunders and benefit VCCS students who are military veterans.

Seen flanked by BCC president Bill Fiege on the left and VCCS Chancellor David Dore on the right, members of Greer Saunders' family gathered at BCC November 11 to remember Saunders and to help award grants to military veterans Christopher Noell (red shirt) and Danielle Williams (light pink blouse). Sabrina Felix, not present, also received a grant from the Greer Saunders Success Fund.

"It's an honor to receive this grant and to meet Greer's family," said Noell, a USMC veteran and BCC student. "These funds will help me to secure new equipment for my photography business."

"This is such a blessing. It's the first time I've ever received anything like this, and it's such an honor," said Army veteran and Brightpoint student Danielle Williams. "These funds will be so helpful to me right now."

"I know first-hand that veterans are welcomed at Virginia's Community Colleges," said Halimah Shepherd-Crawford (right), a U.S. Army veteran who's president of the Brightpoint Student Veteran Organization. "Professors want us to succeed and will work with veterans. I've met so many people and fellow students here and it's all been very positive.'

"And I believe veterans bring great ideas to community colleges." She added. "We're organized and experienced at working together. We bring teamwork-building skills."

You can view a video of the Brightpoint Veterans Day ceremony here.
You can see and download photos of the event here.

System-wide nearly 27,000 students at Virginia's Community College are affiliated with the military, meaning active duty, reserve, veteran, retired, or military dependent. That's about 13 percent of our students overall, and the system put a stake in the ground in its new Accelerate Opportunity Strategic Plan in July to increase the number of military affiliated students at our colleges.

All of our colleges enroll military affiliated students and their numbers are higher at colleges closer to military installations: 31 percent of the student body at TCC, 26 percent at VPCC, 20 percent at Germanna and 18 percent at Camp.

Services for veteran students are available at all our colleges. There are dedicated offices for veteran students at several of our larger colleges.
Here's a look at Veterans Day ceremonies at several other of our colleges this fall:

New River Community College (below) held a Veterans Day ribbon cutting for its newly-renovated Veterans Resource Center. Army veteran and longtime SWVA educator Don Stowers wielded the giant ceremonial scissors at NRCC.

Central Virginia Community College organized a flagpole ceremony on Veterans Day, followed by coffee, donuts and reflections at the CVCC Student Center.

Eastern Shore Community College (below) welcomed representatives from the local D.A.R. to recognize veteran students and employees with baked goods.

Wytheville Community College honored veterans this year with a ceremony and breakfast.

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