UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State faculty, staff and students are invited to volunteer as subcommittee members on the University's 2019 Military Appreciation Committee. Volunteers will help plan and organize Penn State’s year-round military appreciation efforts, including events and programming for the eighth annual Military Appreciation Week in the fall coinciding with Veterans Day.
Subcommittee members will help support a variety of needs related to event planning, operations, relationship building, donation management, community outreach and other activities that support Penn State’s ongoing military appreciation efforts.
Penn Staters who are interested in volunteering and can make a one-year time commitment are encouraged to contact Elisa Van Cise, the committee's director of operations, at emv125@psu.edu or 814-863-0465 by Feb. 28.
“Our annual military appreciation celebrations — which are completely volunteer led — are an opportunity for the Penn State community to join together to honor and publicly commend those who have bravely served our country,” said Van Cise, lead veteran counselor and VA certifying official in the Office of Veterans Programs. “Anyone who wants to support our military community and is willing to assist in the planning and execution of programs and events is invited to join the effort.”
The Penn State Military Appreciation Committee was chartered in 2014 to direct an institution-wide effort to honor and recognize the service and sacrifice of currently serving and veteran military members and their families. The committee is comprised of four subcommittees, which include Military Appreciation Week Events, Finance and Development, Communications and Community Outreach, and Military Appreciation Gameday Operations.
One of the primary objectives of the Military Appreciation Committee is to plan a week each fall to honor servicemembers, veterans and their families.
Military Appreciation Week — which typically kicks off with a Penn State Football game and leads up to Veterans Day — is the largest military appreciation celebration of its kind in the Big 10. The week’s festivities include a community football tailgate for military members and their families; guest speaker events; Veterans Day Ceremony; a breakfast and luncheon honoring Penn State faculty, staff and students; and other activities.
Penn State has a longstanding and proud tradition of serving the men and women of our military and giving back through education, benefits, resources and more, according to Eugene McFeely, senior director for veterans affairs and services and chair of Penn State’s Military Appreciation Committee.
“Military Appreciation Week is a great source of pride for our University. Without the commitment and generosity of our Penn State volunteers and local community members, Penn State’s military appreciation efforts would not be possible,” McFeely said. “This is one of the ways we put ‘thank you for your service’ into action.”
In addition to the week’s festivities, the University provides multiple year-round programs and resources to support Penn State’s military community, including more than 5,600 students who have direct military ties as either servicemembers, veterans or military dependents, across all of Penn State’s campuses, including World Campus.
For veteran students at every Penn State campus and online through the World Campus, the University offers peer counseling services and assists with VA benefits, the college application process, and financial aid through the Office of Veterans Programs. Additionally, Penn State University Park campus offers a peer mentoring program to assist students in their transition from the military to higher education.
For these efforts, the University has consistently been recognized as a military-friendly school for the many academic programs and support resources available to servicemember, veteran and ROTC students.
For more information about military appreciation at Penn State, visit militaryappreciation.psu.edu.