This year, Election Day and Veterans Day fell within 6 days of each other, connecting with powerful imagery at both ends of the cycle and linking them inextricably together. At the end of a divisive and often toxic political campaign, Election Day on November 5 reaffirmed for us – everyday Americans that we are – that we have the power to define or redefine our government…with ballots instead of bullets. No matter the outcome of the national election, Veterans Day on November 11 reminds us that this democratic franchise – the right to vote – is not a luxury to be taken for granted. It is a privilege protected by the men and women in our Armed Forces.
It is right, therefore, that America’s community colleges seek to repay the gift of freedom guaranteed to us by the nation’s veterans by offering them the best support we can give when they return to us as students. However, having given up a portion of their lives serving their country, they often find that enrolling in college as civilians is harder than they – or we – might wish. Although the nation’s community colleges are the best first step into the country’s higher education system to facilitate this return, veterans often feel “out of sight, out of mind.” They need more than just a few hours of special academic tutoring or membership in a campus Veterans Club to thrive in an often-unfamiliar environment.
It is fair, then, that many of our colleges have raised recruitment and support for veterans, military personnel, and military family members to a strategic priority, earning them the award designations of “Military Friendly” and “Best for Vets.” Many veterans arrive on our campuses already equipped with both the discipline and the skills to seek the credentials that will codify these assets into preparation for good jobs. But they need our help to make a successful crossing from one world into the next.
On a cycle of almost 20 years apart, wars, both large and small in scale, have reminded us of that long ago failed promise of peace: to fight “the war to end all wars!” For us, blessed to live in America where no war has been fought on native soil since 1865, the question is who has kept the wars from our shores. The answer lies in the dedication and commitment of the men and women in our Armed forces. And today, we honor and thank them. It may seem a small gesture to pause for a short while to pay homage to the veterans attending the 1,000 community colleges across the country with a campus flag raising ceremony or a Fallen Soldier exhibit or military display. But small gestures like these take on great significance to a group that often feels marginalized, on the fringe of the larger community. And so, we pause on this day to celebrate and thank all of the veterans who make up the diverse communities that comprise our campuses.
How lucky are we to be able to help our country give back to so many who have given so much to us.