Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Coastal Carolina University’s Office of Military and Veteran Services faced drastically low involvement from student veterans.
To reach veterans on campus, the office reestablished Warrior Wednesday: a weekly meeting where students can connect with resources available through the office and meet fellow student veterans.
“We had a veteran that had built really close relationships throughout the organization and a little later on they went through some mental health struggles. Through the meetings and connecting outside of the university, we realized their situation and were able to support them throughout those struggles,” Randy Burk, director of military and veteran services, said.
Warrior Wednesday serves as an opportunity for student veterans and current service members to connect through service history, benefit usage and academics at CCU. The office of Military and Veteran Services serves as a safe space on campus for all veterans.
Such openness has allowed veterans the opportunity to build friendships and interact with each other in a shared space.
“You never know what to expect coming in on Wednesdays, but I enjoy that it creates more opportunities to learn about other student veterans on campus,” Army veteran Sujey Uresti said.
There are many overlapping members between Warrior Wednesday meetings and the Student Veteran Association (SVA). While Warrior Wednesday is only held once a week in Lib Jackson, the SVA focuses on organizing events for student veterans that extend beyond campus.
“I feel like it’s just your service experience that you really think about, but here we have people from all branches. Through the meetings we get to see everyone else’s perspective and I think we learn more about what they go through and understand how to support them,” SVA President and Army veteran Dance Killough said.
The organization takes pride in the amount of comradery between those involved, and the increase of involvement from those who may not be veterans but receive military benefits.
Students who are interested can attend Warrior Wednesday meetings every Wednesday at noon in the Military and Veteran Services Office located in the Lib Jackson Student Union, room B-203.
