The Reveille
A Publication of Veterans Services, University of Houston
VOLUME 7, ISSUE 3
AUGUST 2014
VSOC Counselor, Mr. Ralph
Harrison, with student-veteran
VetSuccess on Campus (VSOC) is a collabora ve ini a ve between selected universi es and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) with the purpose of providing a suppor ve, oncampus environment where studentveterans may gather to obtain assistance and peer support. The goal of the program is to assist student-veterans in making a smooth transi on to college life and to successfully complete their educa onal programs. In 2013, the University of Houston was selected by the VA as a site for the placement of one full- me, experienced VSOC counselor. Mr. Ralph Harrison has been serving UH student-veterans since January, 2014, providing services rela ve to academic support, personal and career counseling, access to VA benefits, and referrals for disability, rehabilita on, and psychological counseling. Mr. Harrison brings a wealth of experience in serving veterans, including ten years serving the ci zens of Georgia as a Mental Health Counselor and Voca onal Rehabilita on Counselor. From the onset of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, Mr. Harrison was assigned to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio (2003-2007) to assist injured service members. As a result of Mr. Harrison’s leadership, the VSOC program and Veterans Services at UH have strengthened and/or developed crea ve and collabora ve relaonships with such organiza ons as the United Way, the Greater Houston Network of Veteran Affairs Professionals, the Wounded Warriors Founda on, Student Veterans of America, and on-campus departments, including the Women’s Resource Center, Learning Support Services, and the Center for Students With DisABILITIES. Because of these outreach efforts, Veterans Services at UH has created a stronger referral network for studentveterans and has shared best-prac ce experiences with many in the administraon of veterans services. “Being on the campus of UH has been an exci ng and rewarding assignment,” stated Mr. Harrison. “I have learned there are may aspects of student involvement and resources associated with a ending a large university. It is a winsome experience to see student-veterans u lizing the resources available in Veterans Services and the VS work-study students sharing their transi on experience or just lending an ear with new student-veterans. I hope to see the office of Veterans Services grow in size and resources during my tenure.” As the VSOC program con nues into the new academic year, we remind and encourage student-veterans to take advantage of the broad array of support services available through VSOC and Veterans Services, as well as the opportunity to simply enjoy the camaraderie of fellow veterans. We salute all UH studentveterans and thank them for their sacrifices and service on behalf of this great naon. Inside this issue:
Is UH Military Friendly?
2
Academic Support
2
V.E.T.S.
2
In Memoriam
2
Readings & Reflections
2
Free Game Tickets
2
Small Addresses
3
New Student-Veteran
3
SVA Welcomes
3
THE REVEILLE
Houston Texans
and USO Houston
partner to provide
free game tickets to
troops and military
families. Go to USO
Houston Update for
more information.
UH student-veterans and the
campus community will learn
whether UH has been designated
as a “Military Friendly” university
on September 23, based on a
national survey conducted by
Victory Media, Inc. Approximately
Veterans Services and UH Learning Support
Services (LSS) will team up to provide a series of
academic support workshops specifically for student-veterans during the 2014-2015 school year.
Helping to ensure a successful transition to the
university environment and the development of
academic skills will be the focus of the workshop
series. Among the topics to be discussed in the
workshops will be balancing family, work, and
education; time management; note taking; study
skills; improving memory and concentration; reducing test anxiety; overcoming procrastination;
and coping with finals. The workshops are designed to help prepare student-veterans for college life and the rigors of the classroom experience. In addition to the above-mentioned workshops, LSS offers one-to-one counseling sessions
Veterans Educational and Tutoring
Services (VETS), a student organization
established during the spring semester,
2014, will continue to offer free peer tutoring for student-veterans in a broad array of
academic disciplines. With an emphasis
on the STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics),
VETS volunteers will begin tutoring ses-
Page 2
850 of the nation’s 4500 colleges
and universities were named as
“Military Friendly” last year, according to Victory Media. UH’s
participation consisted of the
completion of a comprehensive
survey addressing support ser-
on learning strategies and tutoring services for
student-veterans who are on academic probation
and for those who may fall behind in their studies.
Student-veterans are encouraged to take advantage of these support services conducted by
LSS and VS professional advisors and counselors. The workshop schedule is as follows:
Making the Transition for the Student-Veteran
Topics to be covered:
1. Knowledge of UH
2. Accessing professors
3. Where and how to find it
4. Time management
5. Common pitfalls and how to avoid them
Workshop schedule (choose one session only):
Tuesday, August 26, 2014, 10:00 to 11:00 am
Friday, September 5, 2014, 3:00 to 4:00 pm
sions early in the fall semester.
VETS peer tutoring is an excellent
resource for student-veterans who
want to get off to a strong start in
courses that might otherwise prove
extremely challenging. VETS tutoring
can focus on specific courses, including MATH 3321, ECE 2300, CHEE
2331, PETR 2311, PETR 3313, and
vices, physical facilities, and
retention rates for studentveterans. Watch for announcements following September 23.
The envelope please …
Academic Skill Development for the StudentVeteran
Topics to be covered:
1. Tips for surviving the large lecture class
2. Note taking and reading strategies
3. Memory enhancement
4. Tips for online classes
5. Using library resources
Workshop schedule (choose one session only):
Monday, August 25, 2014, 2:00 to 3:00 pm
Thursday, September 4, 2014, 10:00 to 11:00 am
All workshops will be held at Learning Support Services, N112, Cougar Village 1 (Building
563). Contact VS (vets@uh.edu; 832-842-5490) or
LSS (713-743-5411) for additional information.
others, depending on the needs of
the student-veteran. Apply for services early to ensure that you will get
a tutor for your particular course(s).
For additional information, contact
VETS at vetsuh.director@gmail.com.
For veterans who would like to become tutors to fellow vets, contact:
vetsuh.secretary@gmail.com.
Sgt. 1st Class Samuel C. Hairston
On May 27, Veterans
Services and members of the
campus community celebrated and honored the men and
women who serve and those
who have died serving in our
nation’s armed forces. Attendees shared readings and/
or reflections as related to
the service and sacrifices of
others who have served in
the military. They chose from
poetry, excerpts from books
or articles, personal remembrances, histories/letters, and
other published and unpublished sources.
“Readings and Reflections” is held on the day following the Memorial Day
holiday.
Veterans Services
takes this time to
remember a true
patriot and alumnus of
UH, Sgt. 1st Class
Samuel C. Hairston, 35, of Houston,
Texas. Sgt. Hairston died Aug. 12, in
Ghazni, Afghanistan, of injuries
sustained when his unit was engaged by enemy small-arms fire. He
is survived by his wife, Staff Sgt.
Tawana Hairston, and a son, Hayden. He was an 82nd Airborne Division Paratrooper assigned to Fort
Bragg, N. C. Among his numerous
awards were the Bronze Star Medal,
Purple Heart Medal, and Meritorious
Service Medal. In addition, Sam
played football for UH from 1997 to
2000 as a defensive lineman. Military information posted Wednesday,
August 13, 2014, by Drew Brooks, editor
for Stars and Stripes
Page 3
VOLUME 7, ISSUE 3
VS Interim Director David Small receives a Certificate of Appreciation from LT. Col. (USA Ret.)
Eugene A. Vecera, Vice President of the Retired Military Officers of America Association. Dr.
Small’s presentation, “Vets on Campus: Are We Prepared?”, was held on June 28 at the Brae Burn
Country Club.
By Sara Samora
Student Veterans of America (SVA) at the University of
Houston will participate in
Welcome Week this fall semester for the first time.
Members will sell popsicles to
new and returning students,
as well as pass out information about SVA. In addition, the organization will
host a social mixer at Calhoun’s Rooftop Bar and Grill,
welcoming new and returning
student-veterans.
SVA is affiliated with the
national SVA organization
with the purpose of improving the college experience for
student-veterans and dependents. The UH chapter of SVA
was established in January,
2014. Petroleum engineer
senior and SVA Vicepresident Fontaine Wilson is
one of the founding members.
“(We) started the SVA
chapter when we saw that
there was a great need for an
organization that would speak
on behalf of veterans,” said
Wilson. “It has everything
good that you miss from the
military: camaraderie, cool
people, talking trash. And it
doesn't have what you don't
miss: PT, cleaning, and bad
food.”
Advising and Registration for Transfers
(ART) is a required, one-day program for all new
students transferring to the University of Houston. For the student-veteran population, ART
also includes a break-out session conducted at
UH’s Veterans Services (VS). For most studentveterans, this represents their first visit to Veterans Services and their first opportunity to connect with fellow student-veterans. The morning
sessions present in-depth information about navigating the university landscape, accessing VA benefits, maintaining good academic standing, and
adjustment to academic and civilian life. The
morning sessions are followed by optional luncheons hosted by Veterans Services where attendees may ask questions of peer counselors
and VS staff in an informal gathering.
“The Vet orientation was a good experience. The peer counselors I met make me confident that UH was the right pick for me,” said
Michael Castro, who will begin classes in Fall,
2014. Jason Crockett, a VS peer counselor, said “I
think it’s a valuable experience because people
leave here with more information about their
benefits.”
Veterans Services conducts 26-to-28 orientation sessions each year for new UH studentveterans.
“Being a student-veteran
makes it difficult to assimilate
and feel accepted,” said Preoptometry senior and SVA
Secretary Christina Klein.
“The SVA has given me the
camaraderie I’ve been missing
and the tools I need to succeed academically as well.”
Wilson adds that the popsicle sale and the social mixer
are only the beginning.
“There's so much happening with the SVA this school
year,” Wilson said, a Navy
veteran. “We’re having workshops, company meetings,
and branch birthdays in the
following months.”
Klein, a Marine veteran,
believes this new academic
year for the SVA will be fantastic.
“This is something the university should have been doing a long time ago for veterans,” said Klein. “It provides a
warm welcome for veterans
and their families who are
new to the campus community.”
For more information on
joining and upcoming events,
get connected to “Get Involved” through your AccessUH account, or visit
www.facebook.com/
svaofuhouston.
UH professor and U. S. Navy Campus Liaison
Officer Lawrence J.H. Schulze presents Akinleyimu
Blessing with a graduation patriot cord at the
April 18 Graduation Ceremony for Veterans.
The first graduation ceremony honoring
University of Houston graduating veterans
was held on campus on April 18, 2014. Each
graduate was presented with a patriot cord
and invited to wear it during the all-campus
general commencement ceremony. During
the general commencement, audience members were informed that the patriot cords
A Publication Of
signified that the wearer was a veteran.
Over 200 veterans, family members, and
friends attended the inaugural UH graduation ceremony for veterans. Patriot cords
were presented by Lawrence J. H. Schulze,
U.S. Navy Campus Liaison Officer. The
keynote speaker for the event was William
Sherrill, U.S. Marine Corps (Ret.).
“It felt really good that they did this and
took the time to honor veterans,” said
human resources major and Marine Alma
Santes-Vargas. “When you come to college,
you really don’t connect well with the typical college student, but you connect really
well with fellow service members,” she
added.
Supply chain logistics major and Marine
veteran Alexander Amador said, “I think
that’s one of the biggest things — making
connections with other veterans. The ceremony was great.”
Planning for the Veterans Graduation
Ceremony was a collaborative effort, including coordination among the offices of
Veterans Services, academic colleges, and
the President’s office. Given the enthusiastic response of the honorees and attendees,
graduation ceremonies for veterans are
slated to be held twice per year in conjunction with the overall UH commencement
exercises.
Now listen up. I’d like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt appreciation to the staff members of Veterans
Services and to the many studentveterans with whom I have come in contact over the past year. My association
with Veterans Services has been one of
the most rewarding experiences of my
career, and it is my wish that the friendships fostered during this period will continue well into future years. I firmly believe that there is no greater reward than
to provide a measure of support to those
who have courageously and unselfishly
stepped forward to defend our way of life.
May Veterans Services continue to fulfill
its vital role in the campus community,
and may all of our veterans realize success
in the pursuit of their educational and life
goals. Thank you for the privilege.
As you were.
David B. Small
Interim Director (Ret.)
Veterans Services
dsmall@uh.edu
MARK YOUR EVENTS CALENDAR
Here is a partial schedule of events sponsored by Veterans Services (VS) or
Student Veterans of America (SVA). All UH student-veterans,
whether SVA members or not, are invited to all events.
202 University Center North
Houston, Texas 77204-4024
Phone: 832-842-5490
vets@uh.edu
www.uh.edu/veterans
Interim Director:
David B. Small
Program Coordinator:
Lawren Bradberry
Editor:
Sandra Glass
"Veterans Helping Veterans"
AUG 26: SVA Ice Cream Fundraiser, PGH 11:00 am - 2:00 pm.
AUG 28: SVA Mixer, Calhoun’s Rooftop 6:00 - 9:00 pm. Meet and greet for new
and current student-vets.
AUG 29: SVA Football Tailgate at the new stadium. Location and time TBD.
SEPT 2: SVA Financial workshop, 6:00 pm at Veterans Services.
SEPT:
9/11 Commemoration Ceremony (VS). University Center. Date TBD.
SEPT 18: SVA Resume workshop, 6:00 pm at Veterans Services.
OCT 4-5: Houston Stand Down (SVA). Volunteer and help Houston’s homeless
vets.
OCT 7: Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and Center for Students
With DisABILITIES (CSD) workshop (VS). 6:00 pm at Veterans Services.
NOV 11: Veterans Day (VS). Veterans Services will present a program honoring all
veterans. Location and time TBD.
DEC:
Graduation Ceremony for Student-Veterans (VS). Date and location
TBD.
For additional information about any of these events, please contact Veterans
Services.
The Reveille is published three times each year in April, August, and
December. The editor reserves the right to select and edit articles for
publication.
Send comments regarding this newsletter to
vets@uh.edu.