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�鶹��Ƶ recognized as a top Military Friendly University

Katarina Benson — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 21:27:58 +0000

�鶹��Ƶ recognized as a top Military Friendly University Katarina Benson Mon, 06/30/2025 - 17:27

�鶹��Ƶ has once again been recognized for its longstanding commitment to military-connected students and their families, earning a Silver ranking in the Military Friendly® School designation for the upcoming 2025-26 academic year.

The annual recognition honors colleges and universities that demonstrate excellence in serving military communities. The full list of designees will be featured in the October issue of G.I. Jobs Magazine and can also be found at militaryfriendly.com.

“At George �鶹��Ƶ, we are a mission-driven community,” said Jennifer Connors, director of the Office of Military Services. “I am proud of the work our team and our colleagues across campus do every day to ensure our military-affiliated students and families feel supported.”

More than 10% of George �鶹��Ƶ’s more than 40,000 students are current or former military members or military dependents. This past academic year, approximately 20% of incoming freshmen, transfer, and graduate students had military ties, reinforcing George �鶹��Ƶ’s reputation as a top destination for military-affiliated students.

Many of these students receive education benefits to support their academic goals. More than 2,000 use Department of Veterans Affairs education benefits, approximately 1,000 benefit from the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program, and more than 100 receive Department of Defense Federal Tuition Assistance.

George �鶹��Ƶ’s commitment to military-connected students is also reflected in national rankings. U.S. News & World Report named George �鶹��Ƶ one of Virginia’s best colleges for veterans. Its master of business administration (MBA) program for veterans ranked first among public universities both in Virginia and nationwide, and the master’s in nursing for veterans placed first in Virginia and the Washington, D.C. metro region.

The university’s Military, Veterans, and Families Initiative (MVFI) focuses specifically on leveraging George �鶹��Ƶ’s strengths as the commonwealth’s largest and most diverse research university by empowering servicemembers, veterans, and their families through connections to a wide range of campus and regional resources.

“It speaks to our ability to not only serve those who have served us, but to create an environment where our service members, our veterans, and their families can thrive,” said Keith Renshaw, MVFI director, senior associate provost for undergraduate education, and a professor of psychology.

Additional information on the ranking’s methodology can be found here.

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Keith Renshaw, PhD

George �鶹��Ƶ Rankings

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Marine veteran changed his life and seeks to reach others in need of positive direction

Colleen Rich — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 19:33:35 +0000

Marine veteran changed his life and seeks to reach others in need of positive direction Colleen Rich Wed, 11/06/2024 - 14:33

It was an epiphany of sorts, in the most unlikely time and place, but it changed the course of �鶹��Ƶ veteran Abidail “Abi” Estrada’s life—and the many lives he’s touched since.

Abidail “Abi” Estrada. Photo provided

At 19, after making “a lot of bad choices,” Estrada found himself sitting by a Northern Virginia road next to his broken-down car, reflecting on his future. This pivotal moment motivated him to leave behind his troubled past, join the U.S. Marine Corps, and eventually find his true calling in helping fellow veterans and others in need.

“I went off on myself,” recalled Estrada, now a proud husband, father, and U.S. Marine veteran of two tours in Afghanistan who is pursuing a master’s degree in social work. He asked himself what was wrong, wondering if this was truly the life he wanted, and whether he would continue down the same path forever.

This was just the impetus Estrada needed to break free from an unstable home environment that had him headed nowhere good. As a Guatemalan native, who was just 11 years old when his family arrived in the United States in 1998, Estrada longed for a better life, and after that moment of self-realization, enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, which allowed him to alter his own personal narrative.

Estrada’s first tour of duty in Afghanistan began with a stay in the volatile Helmand Province in May 2010, followed by another stint in the war-worn nation from 2013-14. It was extremely dangerous, but as a Marine sergeant and infantry squad leader, he took great pride in serving alongside his new brothers in arms. “I was doing something with purpose, something that was meaningful to me,” he said. “If I was going to die, I was going to die with a purpose.”

After eight years of service, Estrada left the Marine Corps in 2015. Hoping to get a higher-paying job to take care of his family, he enrolled at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), with the goal of transferring to George �鶹��Ƶ to earn a four-year college degree. Hardly a great student while in high school, Estrada quickly found that he was no longer that same guy—he had matured through his military experiences.

He thrived academically, making the Dean’s List at NOVA before transferring to George �鶹��Ƶ in 2017 and graduating from the College of Public Health with a bachelor’s degree in social work in 2019. His wife, Maritza, also a George �鶹��Ƶ graduate, strongly encouraged her husband through it all.

When beginning his academic career, Estrada found that he had an innate desire to help others. He soon discovered his niche in assisting veterans and their dependents navigate the often-complicated GI Bill process, enabling them to receive the benefits were entitled to. Whether at NOVA or George �鶹��Ƶ, Estrada supported fellow veterans by providing them opportunities to connect and share their military experiences with someone who truly understands.

Estrada’s dedication for helping others did not go unnoticed. Ryan Barnett, associate director of George �鶹��Ƶ’s Office of Military Services, recognized Estrada’s potential and encouraged him to pursue social work.

“Abi has a heart of gold and a passion to help people and connect with them,” said Barnett, a fellow Marine veteran.

“The more I learn about the profession, the more I love it,” Estrada said.

Following his graduation, Estrada spent several years helping local youth, first as a youth counselor for Northern Virginia Family Services and then as an investigator of child abuse and neglect cases for Prince William County. Now as a 37-year-old father of three, he returned to George �鶹��Ƶ this fall to pursue his master’s degree in social work, continuing his mission to serve his fellow veterans and others in need.

Estrada is grateful for the opportunities the United States has provided him. He said giving back is the least that he can do. “I’ve always loved and respected this nation,” he said. “It fed me and clothed me. What my birth nation couldn’t do for me, America did. That’s why I want to give back.”

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Schar School of Policy and Government

From Cockpits to Capitol Hill: Marine Corps Officer Charts New Course in Public Policy

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 12:11:38 +0000

From Cockpits to Capitol Hill: Marine Corps Officer Charts New Course in Public Policy Andrew J Schappert Wed, 11/06/2024 - 07:11

Each year since 2018, the Schar School of Policy and Government at �鶹��Ƶ has welcomed a cohort of United States Marine Corps officers to campus as Master of Public Policy students. The officers chosen for the prestigious Marine Corps Congressional Fellowship program complete their fellowships by working for elected representatives on Capitol Hill. Major Anthony Matacotta is a member of this year’s cohort.

Major Anthony Matacotta with daughter Talia: ‘I am interested in public policy because I want to enrich my understanding of what I have sworn to defend.’ Photo provided.

Major Anthony Matacotta is more familiar with the cockpits of KC-130J Super Hercules, a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft, than he is with navigating the marble halls of Congress. But the Marietta, Georgia, native and Marine Corps aviator is looking forward to gaining “a better appreciation for what Congress does and glean some insight into how legislating is really accomplished,” he said. “What’s that quote from Hamilton? ‘I want to be in the room where it happens.’”

Matacotta was excited to continue his academic education after earning a BS in political science from the United States Naval Academy in 2013.

“The Marine Corps emphasizes the idea of being a lifelong learner through professional military education and personal enrichment and I have always wanted to seek higher education,” he said. “So, the chance to earn a masters degree and represent the Marine Corps in a Congressional office struck me as an incredible opportunity.”

Returning to a college campus after nearly a decade, he said, he found himself in classrooms with students from a vast array of professional experiences and backgrounds.

“The diversity of thought amongst everyone at George �鶹��Ƶ fuels energized discourse and innovation,” he said. “I have learned so much from my classmates.”

Matacotta praises all the courses and faculty at George �鶹��Ƶ.

“My favorite course so far has been statistics with [Associate Professor] Jessica Terman,” he said. “In a time where information abounds, but good information remains scarce, Dr. Terman’s course gave us the tools to extract truth from the noise.”

Matacotta was drawn to the Schar School’s public policy program as a way to build on his commitment to public service developed during his military career.

“As Marines, we swear an oath to defend the constitution,” he said. “I am interested in public policy because I want to enrich my understanding of what I have sworn to defend. Public policy is how the ideals of that Constitution are applied to address contemporary social, economic, and political issues.”

Once the fellows earn their Schar School MPP degrees and serve their term on Capitol Hill, they return to uniformed duty. After that, they may reenlist or return to civilian life. Whatever the future holds for Matacotta, “I hope to apply the knowledge and insights I gain at George �鶹��Ƶ both during and after my military career,” he said.

“I am consistently impressed by the caliber of the students in the Marine cohort,” said Noah Jacobson, an adjunct professor of politics and government who has taught the cohort for the last five years. “They are driven and thoughtful, always eager to learn more. They play a key role as part of an invaluable program.”

“There is a lot of policy that reaches out and touches the military and I hope to use what I learn at George �鶹��Ƶ to help translate it to my Marines and the service writ large,” Matacotta said. “After the military, I believe a better understanding of public policy will make me a better-informed citizen, able to effectively participate in government.”

More than 4,700 of George �鶹��Ƶ’s more than 40,000 students are military or veteran-connected. The university is designated a Military Friendly ^TM institution and has been rated as a top college for veterans by U.S. News and World Report. In fall 2024, the university’s incoming freshman transfer cohort was 20% military connected, and the incoming graduate cohort was 19% military connected. See this webpage to learn about the Military, Veterans, and Families Initiative at George �鶹��Ƶ.

In This Story

Noah Jacobson

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�鶹��Ƶ recognized for supporting military families through collaboration

Colleen Rich — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 14:17:27 +0000

�鶹��Ƶ recognized for supporting military families through collaboration Colleen Rich Mon, 11/04/2024 - 09:17

�鶹��Ƶ was recently recognized as a member of the Northern Virginia team that earned one of the four national Pete Taylor Partnership of Excellence Awards for 2024 from the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC).

Now in its 20th year, the award recognizes and celebrates partnerships between military installations and nearby school districts that support K-12 children from military and veteran families, addressing their unique challenges that come from frequent relocations. There are approximately 1.6 million military-connected children in the United States, with nearly 80% attending public schools. Each year, the coalition honors schools and military installations from around the world for their “exceptional and sustainable” efforts in celebrating military children.

George �鶹��Ƶ is part of the Fairfax County Military-Connected Youth Process Action Team, a collaboration between Fort Belvoir, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), and George �鶹��Ƶ’s Military, Veterans, and Families Initiative. This team works to support military-connected students as they transition in and out of FCPS, ensuring their academic, behavioral, and social-emotional needs are met through ongoing events.

“This program is another terrific example of how George �鶹��Ƶ’s Military, Veterans, and Families Initiative works to bring together faculty expertise, community partnership, and experiential learning for our students in service of the broader military and veteran population,” said Keith Renshaw, MVFI director, professor in the Department of Psychology, and George �鶹��Ƶ’s senior associate provost for undergraduate education.

Studies show that military children typically move six to nine times between kindergarten and high school graduation—about three times more often than their nonmilitary peers—as their parents change duty stations. These frequent moves can make it difficult for them to feel connected to their communities, a factor that is crucial to their success and well-being. Around 900,000 military children have experienced a parent being deployed, adding another layer of complexity to their lives.

George �鶹��Ƶ and Fort Belvoir officials worked directly with Renée LaHuffman-Jackson, the director of family and school partnerships for FCPS.

And that collaboration proved effective.

“This award recognizes the value of community collaboration and working together to support the population,” said Jennifer Drake Patrick, an associate professor at George �鶹��Ƶ’s College of Education and Human Development and a military spouse. “It shows the power of coming together rather than working individually.”

Help from �鶹��Ƶ came through consulting in course development for Fairfax educators in understanding military culture and strategies to engage and support military families and in collaborating to develop training for Student Ambassador Programs in area high schools. These initiatives serve to help K-12 schools create a more welcoming and supportive culture for military-connected students and their families.

“We want the students with military connections to come in and feel connected,” Drake Patrick said.

Learn more about MVFI

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Strategic Direction

BOV hears plans for expanding veterans’ services and considers the future of West Campus

Colleen Rich — Fri, 04 Oct 2024 15:23:14 +0000

BOV hears plans for expanding veterans’ services and considers the future of West Campus Colleen Rich Fri, 10/04/2024 - 11:23

The �鶹��Ƶ Board of Visitors discussed the potential for a dedicated university center devoted to expanding academic programs and supports for former or current servicemembers and their families.

Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

More than 4,700 George �鶹��Ƶ students have a military connection, said Keith Renshaw, senior associate provost for undergraduate education and director of the university’s Military, Veterans, and Families Initiative (MVFI). Renshaw said the incoming freshman transfer cohort and incoming graduate cohort his fall were both about 20% military connected.

“We are seeing a proportionately larger increase in interest from that population in attending George �鶹��Ƶ,” Renshaw said during a presentation to the BOV’s development committee on Sept. 26. A substantial amount of George �鶹��Ƶ’s research also focuses on issues relevant to the military and veteran community, and there are many direct services available to that population as part of many curricular and research programs across the university.

“We have the opportunity to expand into a formalized center that serves as a national exemplar for how to do this at universities,” Renshaw said.

U.S. News & World Report last month cited George �鶹��Ƶ as one of the best colleges for veterans, the latest in a series of recognition for how the university supports the military-connected population.

“We live in a region with the highest concentration of military, active and veterans,” said Jon Peterson, chairman of the board’s development committee. “We want to make sure there is engagement between [the university and] students, family members. And that we support them with resources to make their lives better. We can be leaders in this around the country.”

Renshaw said there is a strategic plan for the center to further develop, estimating it would take about $10 million—perhaps in the form of a naming gift—to get the center up and running.

Also at the Sept. 26 meeting, the Board of Visitors approved George �鶹��Ƶ President Gregory Washington’s goals for the 2024-25 academic year.

The goals cover the student experience; the impact of George �鶹��Ƶ research; expanding partnerships; exemplifying a university culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion; investing in faculty and staff success; and timely communication and engagement with university stakeholders.

During his remarks, Washington cited recent state studies that highlight the university’s achievements and its state-leading efficiency in producing more graduates than any university in Virginia over the past decade.

“Seventy-three percent of our graduates stay in the state and are amongst the highest paid,” Washington said. “And we graduate the most. We have the highest return on investment in the state. The state pays the least for a student here. And they literally get the most out of the students from here…. That’s a significant set of outcomes.”

The BOV toured portions of the main Fairfax Campus and West Campus as part of the Sept. 26 meeting and heard a report from Washington about different options the university could pursue to develop that 190+-acre West Campus.

The proposed changes could include state-of-the-art athletic facilities, new residence halls, faculty and staff housing, and other amenities to give the campus a more vibrant sense of community and to ease housing costs on faculty and staff.

Washington said the university had not opened a new residence hall since 2015.

“If you go back to 2017, people have been proposing expanding George �鶹��Ƶ into West Campus,” Washington said. “Go back to 1968. Way back then, there was a master plan in place to look at West Campus expansion. It's part of an ongoing set of discussions. This is just the planning phase.”

In the coming months, university officials will meet with the Fairfax Campus and Community Advisory Board and the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, among other stakeholders.

“We will be engaging the community in a very, very aggressive way,” Washington said. “We need to get all this input before we make a decision, and this is how we will engage individuals in order to get that. So this is not an indication of a final outcome.”

The BOV approved two new degree programs—an MS in behavior analysis in the College of Education and Human Development and the first PhD in cyber security engineering in Virginia. The proposals next will be presented to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV).

The MS in behavior analysis proposal will be submitted to SCHEV this month. The PhD in cyber security engineering proposal likely will be submitted to SCHEV in spring or summer 2025.

The MS in behavior analysis, which would begin in fall 2025, will prepare students to practice behavior analysis in a variety of settings such as education, life and health coaching, corporate and organizational behavior, and geriatrics. Graduates of the proposed degree program will be able to assess behavior and develop interventions to address behavioral issues.

Pending SCHEV approval, the PhD in cyber security engineering would launch in fall 2026. The proposed program responds to the escalating challenges of an increasingly interconnected and digitized world, addresses the shortage of experts, fosters a robust research community in Virginia, and contributes to the evolution of cutting-edge technologies and methodologies in cybersecurity.

Watch the meeting here.

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�鶹��Ƶ honored as a top Military Friendly University

Colleen Rich — Tue, 28 May 2024 15:21:14 +0000

�鶹��Ƶ honored as a top Military Friendly University Colleen Rich Tue, 05/28/2024 - 11:21

�鶹��Ƶ’s commitment to the military community was officially recognized with a top designation as a 2024-25 Gold Military Friendly® School in the latest Military Friendly listings.

George �鶹��Ƶ was among the 243 schools recognized with “Gold” status for their leading practices, outcomes, and effective programs in the listing of the nation’s top Military Friendly® institutions for the 2024-25 school year.

“This recognition is only possible thanks to the supportive relationships we have built with individual offices, programs, and colleges,” said Jennifer Connors, director of George �鶹��Ƶ’s Office of Military Services. “Leadership, faculty, and staff have an unwavering commitment to those who serve. Given our location in the National Capital Region, we have a deep-rooted culture of appreciation. �鶹��Ƶ is dedicated to ensuring that our military members, veterans, and their families receive the respect and resources they deserve.”

�鶹��Ƶ 10% of George �鶹��Ƶ students are current or former military, or military dependents. George �鶹��Ƶ’s nursing and education online master’s programs for veterans are Top 20 nationally, and business is top 50. More than 2,000 �鶹��Ƶ students using Veterans Affairs education benefits, and more than 100 are using Department of Defense Federal Tuition Assistance. Almost 800 use the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program.

George �鶹��Ƶ also has about 1,000 veterans who are adjuncts, administrative and professional faculty, instructional faculty or research faculty, classified staff, or student or wage employees.

The university’s Military, Veterans, and Families Initiative strengthens bonds and builds community among veteran students, alumni and families, and supports the education, well-being and professional development of veterans.

More than 1,800 schools were evaluated from public data sources and a proprietary survey, with 537 recognized with Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards. The entire list will be published in G.I. Jobs magazine’s May issue and can also be found at militaryfriendly.com.

Methodology, criteria, and weightings were determined by Viqtory, an independent research firm that connects the military community to civilian employment and educational and entrepreneurial opportunities. Criteria included student retention, graduation rates, job placement, student loan repayment, persistence (degree advancement or transfer), and loan default rates for all students and student veterans in particular.

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Strategic Direction

Student Ambassadors help military-connected families feel welcomed in Fairfax

Sarah Holland — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 13:55:40 +0000

Student Ambassadors help military-connected families feel welcomed in Fairfax Sarah Holland Mon, 07/10/2023 - 09:55

In a conference room in Merten Hall at �鶹��Ƶ 20 high school students sit in absolute silence.

At each table, teams of two play each other in a card game. But something is amiss: pairs look at each other across the table in confusion. Frustrated fingers poke at the score sheet, then to the pile of cards. Heads shake and nod emphatically as someone goes to take the pile, a wordless argument over who is right.

April Mattix Foster leads a session on intercultural competency. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

April Mattix Foster, associate professor of education In �鶹��Ƶ’s College of Education and Human Development, then reveals the twist: “You are all playing by different rules.”

The silence rule lifted, and the room erupted: shock, surprise, and exclamations of “I knew it!”

This is a lesson, Foster explains, in intercultural competence. Every school has its own culture, its own rules, she tells them. Their challenge as student ambassadors is to support new students by sharing these new rules while also being mindful of the rules and expectations they’re bringing to the table.

This was one breakout room of the Student Ambassador Convening, a collaboration between the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD), the Military Families and Veteran Initiative (MVFI), the Virginia Department of Education, and Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS).

Nearly 100 student representatives and 20 advisors from 13 FCPS high schools gathered on �鶹��Ƶ’s Fairfax Campus in June for a day of workshops and team-building activities to support the student ambassadors program: a school-based, student-led leadership program that brings together military and civilian peers to welcome all new students and create a sense of belonging in the school. As part of their Purple Star Designation, Virginia K-12 schools must show evidence of maintaining an active student ambassador program.

While there is an emphasis in the program on understanding the experiences of military-connected youth as they transition in and out of area high schools, any student transitioning into the FCPS system will be supported and assisted by the ambassadors.

“This is a peer-led program creating a sense of community in our schools,” explained Jennifer Drake Patrick, associate professor of education and member of the leadership team for MVFI. “They’re there to ensure that new students have someone to sit with at lunch, to show them to their classes, and to suggest clubs and extracurriculars. They help students feel welcomed and supported in whatever way makes the most sense for their school culture and community.”

Students spent the day learning about positive leadership, active listening, and holding intentional conversations. The day culminated in a brainstorming session which empowered the ambassadors to take the lead in considering how to improve their school’s programming in the fall.

Cedric Price, left, and Philip Wilkerson describe leadership to their breakout room. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding.

“The students take the ideas and conversations they’ve heard today from our speakers and their peers, and bring that all back into their schools,” said Cedric Price, BA Integrative Studies ‘21 and MEd Curriculum and Instruction ‘22. As the founding president of Educators Rising, Price was invited back to �鶹��Ƶ to co-led a session with fellow alum Philip Wilkerson, MEd Counseling and Development ‘12, on using your assets to guide your leadership. “It makes the schools more community-centered, more friendly, and more inclusive for who they are meant to serve.”

While the hands-on workshops and networking opportunities are critical for the success and growth of the program, there’s another benefit to having the students convene at �鶹��Ƶ: introducing high school students to higher education.

“As a school of education, we want to think about how we can create valuable partnerships with local schools, and this is a great opportunity to do so,” said Drake Patrick. “Many of these students have never been to a college campus. This gives them the opportunity to see who �鶹��Ƶ is and what the college experience is like."

McKenna Seay, an integrative studies major with a concentration in education studies and Bachelors to Accelerated Masters (BAM) pathway student for elementary education, was also supporting the event through Educators Rising. She was a student ambassador when she was in high school and was excited to see how the program has grown. “Colleges and high schools can learn a lot from each other, so to see that collaboration at an event like this makes me happy.”

“College was put on such a pedestal when I was in high school, and while my teachers said I would do well, it felt so out of reach,” said Sophia Castle, an integrative studies major concentrating in social sciences for education and fellow member of Educators Rising. Castle is also in the BAM program, working towards an MEd in Curriculum and Instruction. “The more that high schools and colleges can connect with each other, it will help students realize that college is attainable.”

“�鶹��Ƶ takes its role as a state and public institution very seriously. Opportunities like this allow us to serve the community and keep alumni engaged, all while giving our students experiential, hands-on learning in supporting military-connected youth,” said MVFI director Keith Renshaw, Psychology Department chair. “In the Washington, D.C., metro region, where we have a lot of military personnel, knowing that �鶹��Ƶ is committed and cares for the community—specifically the military community—speaks volumes.”

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Virginia recognizes Jennifer Connors with award for military education excellence

Colleen Rich — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 19:48:42 +0000

Virginia recognizes Jennifer Connors with award for military education excellence Colleen Rich Fri, 12/03/2021 - 14:48

Jennifer Connors. Photo provided

From one veteran liaison position and a single cubicle in the Office of Admissions to a full-service standalone resource center, the Office of Military Services (OMS) at �鶹��Ƶ has grown to support the more than 3,500 military-affiliated students.

The person behind this effort: Jennifer Connors, founding director of OMS.

“Jennifer has been the visionary and architect of everything ‘veteran’ within the �鶹��Ƶ community,” said Ryan Barnett, OMS’ associate director.

Connors, a former chief master sergeant in the U.S. Air Force, said: “My job for a very long time in the military was taking care of people.”

Connors is the first recipient of the Admiral John Harvey Career Achievement in Military Education Excellence Award, which was presented by the Virginia Department of Veteran Services in September.

This honor is awarded to an employee of an education or training facility who is directly involved in the delivery of military education programs and has worked at least five years with military-related students while demonstrating dedication and leadership in providing quality service, leadership, and innovation.

“Jennifer and her team have created an inclusive, supportive environment for members of the military community in OMS,” Alan Byrd, �鶹��Ƶ’s dean of admissions, said. “It makes all the difference in the world for our students.”

Jennifer Connors with her Office of Military Services team. Photo provided

The award is special, Connors said, because it coincides with her 10 years of service at �鶹��Ƶ.

“I have an incredible staff and student veteran population that got me to this point,” Connors said. “It’s reflective of our community as a whole.”

Since she was hired in 2011 as the first director of military services at �鶹��Ƶ and the first female director of a college veteran center in Virginia, Connors’ role as a servant leader hasn’t faltered.

“She works tirelessly to remove barriers for students and to position them for success at �鶹��Ƶ and beyond,” Byrd said.

Connors said her work never feels like a job.

“I'm serving my country by continuing our mission here at �鶹��Ƶ to make sure that our veteran population is supported and a part of our community and successful,” she said.

Connors does everything from providing student counseling sessions for benefits and academic support to giving feedback on legislation to Congress.

In November, Connors helped launch OMS’ partnership with �鶹��Ƶ’s LGBTQ+ Resources Center. She also aided in creating �鶹��Ƶ’s Military, Veterans, and Family Initiative (MVFI), a one-stop shop for �鶹��Ƶ veteran support services ranging from mental health resources to legal and recreational support.

Connors said the guiding principle at OMS is “you don’t leave anyone behind.”

Connors enlisted in the Air Force in June 1995, transitioned to the Air Force Reserve in 2010, and retired from the Reserve in July 2020. She became the first female chief master sergeant of the Force Generation Center while serving as superintendent from June 2018 until her retirement.

“Through her tireless efforts, initiative, and leadership, Jennifer Connors sets the standard for military education professionals,” Barnett said.

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�鶹��Ƶ doctoral students selected as this year’s Tillman Scholars

Colleen Rich — Tue, 09 Nov 2021 15:15:28 +0000

�鶹��Ƶ doctoral students selected as this year’s Tillman Scholars Colleen Rich Tue, 11/09/2021 - 10:15

�鶹��Ƶ doctoral students LeNaya Crandall Hezel and Lt. Col. Michelle Ruehl are being recognized for their service work and desire to make an impact. The two are part of the 2021 class of Tillman Scholars, named in honor of Pat Tillman, the former NFL star who was killed in Afghanistan in 2004 while serving with the U.S. Army Rangers.

Hezel is a military spouse and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) consultant working on a PhD in sociology, and Ruehl is an Air Force pilot and English teacher working on a PhD in Writing and Rhetoric. The women are two are the 60 scholars chosen from thousands of applicants this year by the Chicago-based Pat Tillman Foundation.

Sociology PhD student LeNaya Crandall Hezel is a Tillman Scholar and a 2021 Stand-To Veterans Leadership Program Scholar. Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services

LeNaya Crandall Hezel

A classically trained soprano, Hezel is now using her voice to advocate for DEI. During the tumultuous 2020, she started NayceQuest LLC to guide organizations as they discover meaningful ways to be equitable and inclusive.

She said that when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, her husband, who serves in the U.S. Navy, had just returned from a deployment in Djibouti, and at home with her three daughters, she was thinking “How are we going to do this?” She made the decision to step away from her full-time job as the inaugural veterans office director at Georgetown University and be a full-time student.

“Then George Floyd’s death happened, and I couldn't sit on the sidelines and be like, ‘I'm just going to let the rest of the world figure it out,’” said Hezel, who is also a 2021 Stand-To Veterans Leadership Program Scholar with the Bush Institute. “When I recognized where the need and the demands for this work were, I took action.”

Growing up, Hezel had two nicknames, Nay and Ace, which she merged into Nayce for the name of her company. Through NayceQuest LLC, she has been helping organizations move beyond “checking the box” when it comes to implementing DEI in the workplace. For this work Hezel said she is using a sociology lens and institutional ethnography, looking at the differences between “what's being said versus what is actually happening in the day-to-day practices.”

With her dissertation, Hezel again puts the need of veterans and her previous work with the veterans and military community at the forefront as she looks at campus veteran resource centers and whether they have an impact on student academic success, specifically undergraduate student veteran graduation rates.

“My hypothesis is the schools that have the resource center or the dedicated office, they're going to have higher graduation rates,” said Hezel. “But there's no research on that so I hope to fill that gap.”

Writing and rhetoric PhD student and Air Force pilot Michelle Ruehl often taught English as a volunteer during her deployments. Here she is with some of her students in Afghanistan. Photo provided

Lt. Col. Michelle Ruehl

Things move fast in Ruehl’s world, and not just because she is an Air Force pilot. She started her doctoral studies at �鶹��Ƶ in 2021 after a year as a White House Fellow where she worked as a speech writer for a number of leaders, including Vice President Kamala Harris.

When she found out her next assignment would be at the Pentagon, working with the Joint Chiefs of Staff for three years, she quickly scrambled to get herself in a PhD program. Ruehl has been teaching English and aviation at the Air Force Academy with two master’s degrees, one in English and another in psychology.

“I've taught now in higher ed for eight years, and I would love to keep doing that,” Ruehl said of adding a PhD to her list of credentials. “[The academy] doesn't require pilots to have a PhD, and I realized, when I get out of the Air Force, I will actually have to compete for jobs with the real professors.”

Even before the Air Force Academy gig, Ruehl was finding her way into the classroom. She tells of flying planes over Afghanistan at night and volunteering to teach English during the day.

As the daughter of a musician and the granddaughter of a choir director, she said she also finds teaching English to be an excuse for bringing in other parts of the humanities, including music. Music really made a difference in one of those Afghanistan classrooms in which she was teaching a group of men.

“They want to learn English so badly that they were willing to kind of put up with me,” said the mother of two. “But they wouldn't look at me.”

To break the ice, she brought her guitar to class and sang a song in Dari that she learned online. “Of course, I was butchering it,” she said of the song.

But soon the students were laughing and asking her where she learned the song—and if she could play Michael Jackson.

“Music was able to break down 3,000 years of cultural differences,” she said. “It took a couple of weeks, but then we could get to the writing.”

After her last deployment, Ruehl and her husband started the nonprofit Parwana LEADership Legacy to honor the friends they lost in the war and the people of Afghanistan. They provide leadership programs to veterans and their families.

She also created a camp curriculum for kids that teaches empathy, active listening and service, often using horses. Each camp session is dedicated to a service member who was lost in Iraq or Afghanistan.

“It felt like the only thing I could do when I came back from my deployment was to find a way to keep saying their names,” she said.

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