By Jamie S. Thompson, Contributing Writer
“The willingness of America’s veterans to sacrifice for our country has earned them our lasting gratitude.”- Jeff Miller
Here at Saint Leo University, we deeply value our veterans. Reserves Officers Training Course, or better known as ROTC, is a program here at the university where we partnered with the University of South Florida to provide options for prospective students wanting to join the military while pursuing higher education.
There are ROTC programs all around our main campus and education centers where scholarships and classes are offered flexibly, giving those students the advantage of still serving their time while attending university.
Dr. Joshua Adams, assistant professor of the computer science department, chose Saint Leo because at the time he was active on duty and there were very few options for school. The university allowed him more flexibility with being on active duty and the option of going to school.
Due to the flexibility that Saint Leo provided with classes, Adams was able to be a student and now, a professor.
Adams joined the military in 1995 to get a jumpstart on life and his future. After serving 20 years as a coast guard in the military, he retired in 2015.
When asked the question, “How will you be celebrating Veterans Day?” Adams replied, “My birthday and working. I won’t necessarily be doing any veteran celebration.”
Adams does believe that he has done his service and holds a respect for the previous, current, and future veterans to come.
Adams reflected that during his time in the military, he learned life lessons for his day-to-day life such as maturing and problem-solving.
Adams was the head of a ship and was medically responsible for hundreds of migrants who were seeking a better way of life out at sea. This lesson taught him to be very independent and responsible, because if he made the wrong move, there was a possibility that he could not only put himself in danger, but also others.
Adams’ advice to any prospective students who are interested in joining the military is to think about what it is that you want first in life. It is not an easy route to take, but the key to being successful while being in the military is being independent and having strong decision-making skills.
“You really had to work for yourself, you had to make sure that you were on your game, you had to make sure that you understood what needed to be done. Because boy, if you did not, you could certainly find yourself in trouble,” said Adams.
Jonathan Barnes is another veteran who is a junior majoring in English. His main reason for choosing Saint Leo is because it was highly recommended, and the school was very appealing to him.
Barnes joined the military at the age of 25 due to him wanting a drastic change. He spent seven years in uniform, one year in Iraq during 2009-2010, and one year in Afghanistan in 2012-2013. He plans to celebrate Veterans Day by reading and completing assignments.
“Each a minor celebration that the G.I. Bill even managed to get me to college,” said Barnes.
Barnes explained that a life lesson he learned in the military is to not take yourself too seriously.
When Barnes was asked if there was any advice that he would like to give any prospective students wanting to join the military he replied, “There is nothing like it anywhere in the civilian world. Get in there and have some fun, then get out and enjoy the life-long benefits you have earned.”
There are a few ways Saint Leo celebrated Veterans Day. On Nov. 8, there was a movie held on Kirk Lawn called “Flags of Our Fathers.” The following day there was also a Veterans Day Lunch and Learn held from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. where Dr. Marco Rimanelli spoke on the topic “The U.S. Military Organizational and Combat Challenges from the Two World Wars to Post-Cold War Asymmetrical Warfare: Lessons Learned.”
On Wednesday, November 10, the Veterans Appreciation Ceremony and Reception were also held in honor of celebrating Veterans Day.
President Senese along with special guest, Colonel Lewis “Jay” Powers, Special Forces Commander, Deputy Commanding Officer, West Point graduate, and Special Operations Command, attended this ceremony. Other community members were welcomed to attend this celebration.
There were a variety of ways in which Saint Leo celebrated Veterans Day. Currently, the university still encourages and supports veterans who are interested in pursuing higher education through the ROTC program and additional scholarships. We know that it is not a walk in the park, and it requires a heap of dedication and determination, but despite it all, we are more than grateful for all the veterans who served their time.
Happy Veterans Day from the staff here at the Lions Pride Media, and a great big thank you to you all!
