Virginia Western Community College will host a National Remembrance Day Roll Call beginning at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday (Veterans Day) at its flag pole area in the Court of Four Seasons. Volunteers will read the names of every U.S. military member killed in action since September 11, 2001.
In addition to the roll call and a ceremony honoring fallen military members, Virginia Western has planted Flags for the Fallen in the Community Arboretum along Colonial Avenue.
Virginia Western has been named a Military Friendly School for the services and programs offered to military students. This fall, 289 self-reported veterans enrolled at Virginia Western along with 386 other military-affiliated students.
The college opened its Military Student Center this fall semester in Anderson Hall as a resource for students. Multiple studies have shown that one-stop centers, away from primary administration offices, are strongly preferred by military students. First-time students are often apprehensive about going to college after the service, and a designated center helps them feel comfortable. The Military Student Center offers staff assistance with veterans financial aid benefits, admissions and enrollment and it offers computers, a kitchenette and lounge area for military-affiliated students.
The college also boasts an Armed Forces Student Association and a chapter of SALUTE, the national honor society for veterans. In August, the Armed Forces Student Association hosted the first Boots2Books 5k to raise funds for the Virginia Western Educational Foundation’s Veterans Assistance Fund. More than 113 runners participated and more than $15,000 total was raised.
