From service member to student: highlighting the impact of student veterans
The University of Georgia has consistently ranked at or near the top of Military Friendly Tier 1 research institutions in the country. UGA’s Student Veterans Resource Center (SVRC) facilitates a smooth transition for incoming student veterans, helping student veterans find opportunities and community on campus. Through engagement programs, scholarship opportunities, employment connections, and community networking, the SVRC ensures that each student veteran has a fulfilling UGA experience, inside and outside the classroom.
Each of the University’s 419 student veterans has a uniquely empowering story about their military service. Two student veterans, Daniel Luster and Elias Gandy, shared their stories about their transition to UGA.
Daniel Luster joined the Army in 2009, where he served for about four years as a Cavalry Scout. During his service, he was wounded in combat. Luster came to UGA to pursue a degree in social work, which he hopes to combine with his experience in the Army to dedicate his career to helping others.
Through organizing social events, like tailgates, the SRVC connects student veterans with each other to foster meaningful community. Luster attended the SRVC tailgate, sponsored by Fiserv, with a fellow student veteran for the Georgia vs. Alabama game. When he arrived, he was shocked at the scope of the tailgate. From catered food to dozens of attendees to tangible gameday spirit, the SVRC tailgate introduced Luster to life as a Bulldog.
“The tailgate far exceeded my expectations,” he said. “They totally go all out, especially for tailgates, like, it was wild.”
Elias Gandy served four years in the Marine Corps as an Infantry Rifleman. He is currently a second-year biological engineering student. The SVRC connected him to career coaching, which is how he discovered the Water Reed National Military Medical Center, where he hopes to work one day.
After leaving the military and beginning to navigate life as a veteran, Gandy realized the importance of helping fellow veterans. He reflected on the value of his work in our country’s armed services.
“Now I’ve found purpose because I want to help veterans like me ,” he said.
Gandy found his professional passions at UGA and made genuine connections with fellow student veterans through the SVRC. When the diverse aspects of campus life come together, it helps create an enriching experience that makes UGA feel like home.
“Here at UGA, it’s one big family. Just like my time being in the military,” said Gandy.
Surrounded by a supportive community of students, faculty and mentors, the SVRC has become a place where past experiences and future goals come together, rooted in highlighting the service of all student veterans.
In honor of Veterans Day, it is especially important to spotlight the service of all student, faculty, and staff veterans at UGA. We recognize and celebrate the dedication, leadership, and service of everyone in the UGA community who has served in the armed forces, and we thank them for their continued contributions to our campus community.
