For some military veterans, the first day of school at a new college or university is as challenging as a deployment to a foreign country. Immersion in a new culture and reintroduction to a demanding academic environment can make the transition from military to higher education difficult. To ease the transition, the Warrior-Scholar Project (WSP) hosted its fourth intensive one-week academic boot camp at Syracuse University July 14-July 21.
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Syracuse University’s 2018 Tillman Scholars Announced
“The 2018 Class of Tillman Scholars is a diverse, innovative group of people dedicated to making an impact in their chosen fields; from nursing practice and water conservation to business administration, public policy and beyond,” says Marie Tillman, board chair and co-founder of PTF. “We are proud to support this newest class of Tillman Scholars, empowering them to make an impact in their own communities and around the world.”
Piston is a Navy spouse and proud granddaughter of a WWII veteran. While earning an undergraduate degree at Purdue, she experimented with the design of “smart” military helmets and spent six years observing orthopedic surgery at the local VA hospital.
26 ROTC Cadets Make Official Commitment to Serve
On Friday, May 11, ROTC cadets officially became the next generation of military leaders at the annual commissioning ceremony at Hendricks Chapel, signaling the end of training and the beginning of the graduating seniors’ military career. The cadets graduated from five schools, including Syracuse University, SUNY Oswego, Le Moyne College, Utica College and Cazenovia College. The 26 graduates became second lieutenants in either the U.S. Army or U.S. Air Force and were given their first salute by a mentor, family member or friend who serves or has previously served in the military.
University Honors 198 Student Veteran Graduates

Last week, Syracuse University and the Office of Veterans and Military Affairs honored 198 graduating student veterans at its 2018 Student Veteran Commencement at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications on Friday, May 11. The graduates represented 46 different majors from all of the University’s schools and colleges with the master’s of business administration and master’s of public administration programs boasting the largest enrollments.
Syracuse ROTC Students Achieve Prestigious Placements
Two Syracuse University Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) cadets have achieved prestigious honors; Cadet Bethany Murphy has been awarded the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship and Cadet Battalion Commander Ashlynn Borce has been accepted into the prestigious Army-Baylor University Doctoral Program in Physical Therapy.
SVO Announces New Officers
The Student Veterans Organization at Syracuse University (SVO) announced the newly elected officers for the 2018-19 school year.
The newly elected officers are:
• President: Adam Legrand (U.S. Air Force medic)
• Vice President: Nicholas Robson (U.S. Marine Corps)
• Treasurer: Oliver Posewitz (U.S. Navy)
• Secretary: Maria Delgado (U.S. Army Reserves)
Hometown Hero: U.S. Army Veteran, Jim Hopkins
Syracuse University employee and U.S. Army Veteran, Jim Hopkins, was honored as “Hometown Hero” during Saturday’s SU Mens’s Lacrosse vs. Navy game.
Jim Hopkins,was born in Syracuse, New York and was raised on Tipperary Hill. Jim attended St. Patrick’s Grammar School, Bishop Ludden High School, Onondaga Community College and graduated from Syracuse University with Bachelor of Science Degree in biology in 1992.
Student Veterans Organization Celebrates Student Veterans Success
The Syracuse University Student Veterans Organization (SVO) recently hosted its fourth annual SVO Ball and Awards Banquet celebrating the successes of student veterans. Proceeds from the event were donated to Clear Path for Veterans, a local veterans’ resource and community center.
The SVO welcomed Jeff Cleland as the keynote speaker. Cleland, who is the director of organizational excellence with the Maryland State Highway Administration, holds a B.A. in policy studies from the Maxwell School and is completing the executive M.P.A. at Maxwell in December 2018. Cleland encouraged student veterans to leverage everything Syracuse University has to offer and become brand ambassadors for veterans and excellence.
NVRC Rendering: ROTC Classroom
Renderings provided by SHoP Architecture
ROTC Classroom
Veteran-Owned ZeroPoint Aerial Launches Inaugural Drone Flyover to Feature Site Preparation at National Veterans Resource Center
The first-ever drone flyover of the National Veterans Resource Center (NVRC) occurred on Monday, Feb. 26, thanks to a local veteran-owned business hired to chronicle the historic beginnings of the building slated to open in spring of 2020.