UGA student veterans receive national leadership award 

Chris King and Dan Triplett have been recognized as among the nation’s top student veterans for their excellence as leaders in their communities.  

G.I. Jobs Magazine named King and Triplett in their 2024 Student Veteran Leadership Awards. The magazine recognizes student veterans who make a positive impact through serving their fellow veterans and schools. King and Triplett are two of 32 “future leaders of our communities and nation” honored this year. 

While King has graduated, Triplett is still a student at UGA and is heavily involved in the Student Veterans Resource Center (SVRC) and the Student Veterans of America (SVA).  

Triplett joined the military in 2014 and served as a catapult operator on an aircraft carrier in the Navy until 2022. During his time in the Navy, he learned the importance of leadership and mentoring. 

Triplett’s work with the SVRC is focused on establishing programs that help student veterans build self-sufficiency. Rather than create programs based on short transactions, the SVRC aims to provide sustained support for veterans on campus. For Triplett, this means emphasizing building a foundation of resources for student veterans in their first semester.   

“The first step to helping someone is listening to them,” Triplett says. “There’s a wealth of resources available. In my role, it’s about knowing the resources to provide for students for their specific need.” 

Triplett is pursuing a degree in Social Studies Education with a minor in History. He is excited to start a career as a high school social studies teacher, and he hopes to carry those same leadership and mentoring skills he learned in the military and as a student veteran over to his role as a teacher.  

This semester, Triplett serves as president of the UGA Chapter of the Student Veterans of America. He takes pride in leading the SVA and being a part of an organization that offers a place of friendship for other veterans on campus.  

“It established the community that I had lost,” Triplett says. “When you’re in the military, you’re working towards a mission. We’re trying to find our new mission, all of us, whether that’s graduating or finding a job on the outside. The SVA surrounds you with building blocks to succeed as a veteran here at UGA.” 

By Avery Hawkins, Digital Marketing Assistant in the Division of Student Affairs