- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Veterans Day ceremony highlights unique experiences of military students

Thu, 14 Nov 2019 18:19:57 +0000

University of Arkansas at Little Rock Chancellor Christina Drale and Director of Military Student Success Kathy Oliverio are serious about their commitment to military student success. This week, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock hosted a Veterans Day ceremony featuring first-hand stories of career transition and personal renewal from the university’s military students. After 10 years of active duty in the Air Force, Staff Sergeant Kaycee Greenwood transitioned into a training manager role for the Air Force Reserve where she works to prepare the next generation of crew chiefs. Now a ��Vlog��ý Little Rock doctoral candidate in education, Greenwood plans to continue supporting the training needs of the Air Force. “My experiences at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock have been nothing short of amazing,” said Greenwood. “I love being a lifelong student.” Biology major Alexis Harris, a native of Sherwood, always looked forward to someday earning a degree at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, her mother’s alma mater. Harris served as a Navy intelligence specialist from 2013 to 2019. Her global experiences ranged from providing humanitarian support to imagery data support.�� “I am grateful for the opportunities provided to me by the Navy,” said Harris. “The Navy has showed me where I am strong and where I can improve. I am thankful for my time in the Navy, no matter how hard the growing process was at the time.” Marine Corps veteran Sean Lewis served four years with duties ranging from cyber network operator to machine gun operator. His global experiences ranged from duties in Afghanistan to working with children in Japan.�� Lewis admits that he joined the Marine Corps primarily because his mother told him not to join the military and go to college. He graduated high school at 16 and waited for his opportunity to join the military. He spent his 18th birthday on a bus headed to training. Since leaving the Marines, Lewis has served in law enforcement and as a private military contractor. This academic year, though, Lewis is a freshman biology student at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock student veterans, Kaycee Greenwood, US Air Force Reserve, center, and Sean Lewis, US Marine Corps., right, participate in a Veterans Day ceremony held in the Stella Boyle Smith Auditorium. Photo by Ben Krain

“I may be a little late, Mom, but I’m in college now,” chuckled Lewis. Army wife Neva Martin shared her story of what it means to support a disabled veteran. After many tours of duty with special forces and plans to retire on the near horizon, Martin’s husband was injured in a tank explosion.�� “I’m so grateful that my wonderful husband is still here,” said Martin. “When he returned home that last time, he was different. He needed physical therapy and mental health therapy to overcome the effects of PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder).” The path of recovery and renewal for Martin and her husband has taken over a decade and in some ways still continues. Martin is dedicated to continuing her role as a steadfast Army wife, seeing her husband through the entirety of their journey together. “Being an Army wife is a wonderful but stressful job,” Martin said. “My advice to other service member families is to stick together, rely on faith, and seek help for PTSD and physical injuries.” Oliverio emphasized that military students bring a wealth of knowledge and unique experience to the education environment. They also carry internal battles that result from their commitment to serving our country. “The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Military Success Center is dedicated to supporting these incredible American citizens who volunteered all of their being to serve on our behalf,” Oliverio said.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock to host military appreciation week for servicemembers

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 08 Nov 2019 22:33:32 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will honor its veterans and military servicemembers with a week of events beginning with a Veterans Day ceremony on Monday, Nov. 11.�� The ceremony will begin at 10:30 a.m. in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Fine Arts Building. Kathy Oliverio, director of Military Student Success, will give the opening remarks.�� Kaycee Greenwood, master sergeant with the U.S. Air Force Reserves; Sean Lewis, a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps; Alexis Harris, a veteran of the U.S. Navy, and Neva Martin, the spouse of a U.S. Navy veteran, will talk about their experiences serving in the military, after leaving the military, and life as a student veteran at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. The Military Student Success Center will hold an open house following the ceremony from noon to 2 p.m. in the Applied Communication Building Room 111. The Veteran Education Training (VET) 365 Program will host a seminar at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 12, in the Donaghey Student Center Ledbetter Hall to introduce faculty and staff to the strengths, challenges, and realities that military service members and their families encounter. Oliverio will give a presentation on veteran education at 2 p.m. Nov. 12 in Ottenheimer Library 535. Attendees should RSVP by. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 13, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock veterans, faculty, staff, and students can enjoy a free lunch provided by Sodexo in the Military Student Success Center. Those attending lunch can also take a picture with the selfie screen and post it to social media using #��Vlog��ýLRVeteransDay. Student veterans and military student success staff members will host an open discussion on understanding Veterans Affairs educational benefits from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14, in the Military Student Success Center. The final event will include an open forum for military students to discuss any topic in relation to military benefits, education, or services military students would like to see at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. The forum will take place from noon to 2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15, in the Military Student Success Center. For more information, contact Kathy Oliverio, director of military student success, at 501-682-8387 or kmoliverio@ualr.edu.

Girl Scouts deliver sweet deal to military vets

Janea Snyder — Wed, 01 May 2019 23:30:09 +0000

Central Arkansas Girl Scouts made a special delivery to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s military veteran students on May 1: 4,404 boxes of Girl Scout cookies. Girls from three troops in the ��Council delivered the goodies, and with the help of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock military veterans, formed a cookie brigade to unload the treats from the Girl Scouts’ van and into the Military Student Success Center. The veterans now have a plentiful supply of lemony Savannah Smiles, shortbread Trefoils, peanut buttery Do-si-dos and Tagalongs, Thin Mints and carmel-drizzled Samoas. The council ran out of S’mores and gluten-free cookies, but no one worried a lick. “It’s nice to know that someone cares and wants to put effort into appreciation for military veterans,” said ��Vlog��ý Little Rock student Josh Keyes, a U.S Army veterans and president of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Students Affected by the Military (SAM) organization. The cookie delivery was part of the “Girl Scouts Give Back” program. Each year, the council budgets for about 20,000 boxes of cookies for charitable giving, said Dawn Prasifka, president and chief executive officer of This year, the council focused on giving to veterans and planned other deliveries to a Pine Bluff food pantry, the U.S. Air Force 188th Wing in Fort Smith, and stops at the University of Arkansas, Arkansas State University, and Texas A&M in Texarkana. Military veterans weren’t the only ones honored by the cookie delivery. The girls selected to deliver the cookies are among the council’s top cookie sellers. Troop 6705 in Little Rock collectively sold more than 37,000 boxes of cookies this year, making them the top-selling troop in the council. Karli Redd, 14, of Little Rock, an 8th grader at Mills Middle School, has been the highest cookie seller in the Chipato Valley Service Unit for eight years in a row. This year she sold 2,185 boxers for Troop 6097. “It’s our way of giving back to our community,” she said of Wednesday’s delivery. Troop 6846 in Searcy sold more than 10,000 boxes this year, and several of the girls helped deliver treats, including Emma and Isabella Schmidt, 9; Gracie Cherry, 10; Peyton Murphy, 10; Kiley Cantrell, 10; Nadia Lagomarsino, 10; and Hollie Laws, 15. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Office of Military Student Success serves 650 military students and family members, said Kathy Oliverio, director of Military Student Success. The students will take some of the cookies home and share the others. “We know people who are deployed, and we’ll make care packages and send them overseas,” Oliverio said. “It’s nice to be appreciated, and we believe in paying it forward.” Photo top right:��Kathy Oliverio, left, director of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Military Student Success Center, helps military veterans and Girl Scouts unload Girl Scout cookies. The��Council donated more than 4,000 boxes to military veterans served by ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s MilItary Student Success Center. Photo above left: Girl Scouts and veterans stack cookies inside the Military Student Success Center.��Photos by Benjamin Krain.

Veteran earning degree online to provide a better future for his family

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 04 Dec 2018 14:28:24 +0000

When Jimmy Johnson, 52, of Benton, was called in for a fifth and final interview for a vice president position a few years ago, he was certain that his life was about to change.�� “I just knew that my experience would finally pay off and move me out of the horizontal status that I seemed to be stuck in,” Johnson said. “I can’t tell you how excited I was when they requested this last interview. I just knew that my life was going to change.” The interviewer asked Johnson one simple question. Do you have any college? He said no. “They had explained to me that they wanted me, but their policy was that individuals for these positions must have a college education,” Johnson said. “They were going to waive their requirement for an actual degree for me, but because I had no college, they could not waive that. You just don’t understand the depression that set in for me. I knew at that point that I would always be in a horizontal status unless I do something about it. This is when I decided to obtain a college degree.” Johnson, a veteran and father of six, always wanted to go to college, but circumstances in his life did not allow this after high school. At 18, married and with his first child, Johnson dropped out of high school to support his growing family. He spent a few years working as a cook at Shoney’s. When his first wife became pregnant with his second child and Johnson without health insurance, he joined the U.S. Army in 1987 and completed the tactical satellite/microwave repairer course. He served in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. He credits the U.S. Army for providing him with the skills to get the professional job he needed. “I owe the Army everything I have today. They gave me the experience that I needed to be in the profession that I am today,” he said. After 10 years in the Army, Johnson worked a variety of positions with 30 years experience in the telecommunications industry. He has worked as a transport engineer at Alltel Wireless, as a realtor and consultant, and owned his own business as well. Johnson currently works as a professional vendor manager at AT&T in Little Rock. After being unable to advance further in his career without a college degree, Johnson joined ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2016 to pursue a bachelor’s degree in applied science with minors in management and professional communications. “At my age, I could have taken college anywhere, but I didn’t want that,” Johnson said. “I wanted a campus feel, even though my schedule does not accommodate that. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock gave me that campus feel. When I graduate, I won’t feel like I went to an online school. I have made a point to meet every professor that I have had classes with face to face, even though they are online. Having access to the programs that ��Vlog��ý Little Rock has to offer has benefitted me by allowing me to be a professional and a father. The services that ��Vlog��ý Little Rock offers gives me the flexibility to work on my studies on a schedule that fits my lifestyle.” He credits his wife Melissa and Kathy Oliverio, director of military student success at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, for encouraging him to complete his degree. “Kathy Oliverio is the one who told me I could do it,” Johnson said. “I was a nervous wreck. She told me, ‘Jimmy, you can do this.’ She is the one who really motivated me to just go for it. I keep in touch with her all the time. My goal is to graduate with a 4.0. She said, ‘for someone who is nervous, you have high goals.’ I said, ‘If I’m going to do this, I’m going to do this right.’ My wife, Melissa, is very supportive. She’s another one who told me, ‘Jimmy, go get your education.’” His schedule as a student remains hectic. Johnson has five adult daughters who no longer live at home. He also has a “late in life blessing” in the form of his 5-year-old son, Blake. After spending all day at work, Johnson is dedicated to spending as much time as possible with his son. “My son is my pride and joy to me,” he said. “From after work until he goes to bed, that time is his. Friday and Saturday are his. I start my schoolwork at 9 p.m. on Sunday and do school work until almost 2 a.m. every morning from Sunday through Thursday. This is Blake’s first year in kindergarten, and he didn’t like it as much. Hey, Daddy goes to school, too. It’s brought him around to saying that school is not so bad because Daddy’s doing it.” Once he graduates in 2019, Johnson hopes to move into management and eventually land the coveted vice president position. “With the diploma from this university and the experience that I have, I am hoping that for once in my life – instead of opportunity always passing me by – I will have a chance to pass up opportunities.” Johnson hopes that the lesson people take away from his story is to see the value of getting an education and to go for it. “I just wish that everyone that reads this really considers getting their education,” he said. “Without it, there is a good chance you will never achieve the goals that you are working for. Education is never ending. I have required training at AT&T. AT&T has a program called Workforce 2020 to make sure that their employees are keeping up with all the new changes in technology and education. Technology changes and management styles change. If you don’t keep up, you’ll be left behind.” In the upper right photo, online ��Vlog��ý Little Rock student Jimmy Johnson does most of his school work by night so he can spend time with his 5-year-old son Blake. Photo by Ben Krain.��

Student veterans and spouses share experiences at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Veterans Day Ceremony

Wed, 14 Nov 2018 17:54:17 +0000

For ��Vlog��ý Little Rock social work student Jackie Fowler, Veterans Day is a day of solace, contemplation, and reflection on the events in her life that brought her to where she is today. Five years ago, Fowler’s life took an unexpected turn when she learned that her husband had been seriously injured in an accident while deployed. He would pass away a few months later. Today, Fowler has dedicated her life to working with both veterans and other military spouses who have gone through similar experiences, and has bravely shared her story with the campus. “When my husband passed, his GI Bill scholarships passed to me. I decided to use that to pursue a degree in social work and focus on veterans’ services,” Fowler said. “I want to do the best I can to give them the best they deserve.” ��Vlog��ý Little Rock joined the rest of the nation in celebration of the 100th observance of Veterans Day at a Nov. 12 ceremony featuring student and employee veterans along with spouses of veterans. Kathy Oliverio, an Air Force veteran and director of Military Student Success at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, opened the ceremony with remarks about the history of Veterans Day, its origins as Armistice Day following the end of World War I a century ago, and the importance of its observance to those who have served. Student veterans Josh Keyes and Andy Wertherington shared their experiences in the armed forces as well as the difficulties that they had re-adjusting to life after their service ended. Both pointed to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Military Student Success Center as an important player in their new lives as students. “I don’t know really where I’d be without Kathy and the services she provides to veterans here,” Keyes said. “It’s been a long process readjusting to civilian life but ��Vlog��ý Little Rock has people that have gone through the same thing and are there to help you work through it.” Solo piano arrangements of “The Star Spangled Banner” and “Taps” were performed by Dr. Linda Holzer, professor of music and coordinator of classical piano studies, with music major and Wind Ensemble member Stephanie Gimenez performing on the snare drum. For more information about ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Military Student Success Center, click here. Military Student Success Center Assistant Director and Coast Guard veteran Cheryl Kleeman prepares flags for the Nov. 12 ceremony.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock to honor members of military with week of events

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 06 Nov 2018 21:14:17 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will honor its veterans and military service members with celebratory events during “Heart of Servicemember” Week Nov. 12-16.�� The week of events begins with a Veterans Day Ceremony on Monday, Nov. 12, from 10:30-11:30 a.m. in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall in the Fine Arts Building. The Military Student Success Center will hold an open house following the ceremony from noon to 4 p.m. in the Applied Communication Building Room 111. The Veteran Education Training (VET) 365 Program will host a seminar at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13, in the Donaghey Student Center Leadership Lounge to introduce faculty and staff to the strengths, challenges, and realities that military service members and their families encounter. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 14, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock veterans, faculty, staff, and students can enjoy a free lunch provided by Sodexo in the Military Student Success Center. Those attending lunch can also take a picture with the selfie screen and post it to social media using #��Vlog��ýLRVeteransDay. The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock community will hear from student veterans during a panel discussion, “Bridging the Military-Civilian Divide at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock,” at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 15, ��in Donaghey Student Services Center D. The week will end with an open forum that highlights the benefits of hiring veterans and debunking myths that serve as barriers to recruiting and retaining veterans in the workforce. “Hiring Veterans: Debunking the Myths” will be from noon to 1 p.m. Friday, Nov. 16, in Donaghey Student Center A. All week long, people may stop by the Student Services Center reception desk to pick up a star to honor any veterans in their life. For more information, contact Kathy Oliverio, director of military student success, at 501-682-8387 or kmoliverio@ualr.edu.

Veteran Looking Forward to Future Career as Engineer Exploring Renewable Energy

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 04 Oct 2018 14:49:12 +0000

Victor Ruiz, a senior systems engineering major at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, has a lot to be thankful for. He’s a U.S. Air Force veteran with a beautiful wife and two young daughters. Now in his last semester as a systems engineering major, Ruiz is looking forward to a future career where he explores his passion for renewable energy.�� “As the world gets bigger, and there are more homes and ��buildings built that use more computers, lights, and phones, energy consumption will continue to boom,” he said. “I think people need to be educated more and learn to save what we have left on this world. People always assume energy is free and we can keep producing as much as we want at no cost, but it’s not the case.” A native of San Leandro, California, Ruiz graduated high school in 2006 and worked in an auto parts store “until a 6-foot, 6-inch mountain of a man walked into my auto parts store dressed in crisp Air Force Blues uniform and said, ‘Son, I am about to save your life.’” At 18, Ruiz joined the U.S. Air Force and was stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base. He worked as an aircraft loadmaster, earned an associate degree in applied science in aviation operations, and even met and married his wife, Alba, who he met at Cajun’s Wharf. Life was going well for Ruiz, who thought he would spend his whole life in the military and retire. Things changed after Ruiz’s first child, Zoё, was born in 2014. Ruiz had already been deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kuwait, but the thought of leaving his newborn child was devastating. “Leaving to go fight a war was never hard for me. I accepted the fact that this is what came with the job,” Ruiz said. “The military turned this skinny boy from the suburbs of California into a man. The Air Force saved my life. It gave me goals, ambition, and a drive to never settle. I have never been terrified in my life except for one time. When I watched my 5-pound, 11-ounce baby girl come into this world, I was petrified. My baby was my world, and that’s when I knew I had to do the scariest thing imaginable. I had to leave the Air Force.” In 2014, Ruiz left the Air Force after eight years of service and moved his family to California and enrolled in college. However, life in California, with its expensive housing market and colleges, did not turn out well. He was only in his second semester at Ohlone College when he developed a devastating case of meningitis that left him unable to complete his classes. After he recovered, Ruiz and his family moved back to Little Rock, and he started at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock during fall 2015. With a strong belief that the world can no longer rely on fossil fuels as its main source of energy, Ruiz studies renewable energy and energy savings solutions “to put myself in a position to leave the world a little better than I found it.” His senior capstone project involved the development of a solar-powered irrigation system. Ruiz appreciates the small class sizes in the College of Engineering and Information Technology, something he wasn’t used to in California. “The small class sizes really make the learning environment intimate and student driven. Instructors are able to move at individuals’ pace making sure no one is left behind,” Ruiz said. “The passion EIT professors show for their students keeps me coming back every semester. Coming from California and large college classes really makes me appreciate the time and care everyone at the EIT college spends with the students.” He is also thankful to Amy Frets, EIT director of student services and retention, whose “mentoring and motivation makes you believe that when everything seems hopeless it can still be done.” As a full-time, nontraditional student, Ruiz said he has faced the challenges of working two, sometimes three, jobs while attending school in order to support his family, which now includes a second daughter, 1-year-old Khloё. “��Vlog��ý Little Rock is an institution that allows people like me who are getting up at 4 a.m. to run a truck route and then go to class all day to then go load and unload trucks until 10:30 at night,” Ruiz said. “A student that raises a 4-year-old and 18-month-old baby in their free time. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is an institution that does something no other college around here does. It gives nontraditional people that struggle to survive hope – hope for a better tomorrow. Hope that at the end of it all, that once you earn that degree, your dreams can become a reality. So last but not least, thank you ��Vlog��ý Little Rock for making my dreams a reality.” Ruiz is grateful to staff members of the Military Student Success Center including Cheryl Kleeman, assistant director of military student success, and Kathy Oliverio, director of military student success. “The Military Student Success Center has been vital to my success during my time at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. It is often thought of as a sanctuary for military students where they can share their college experience, troubles, and accomplishments. I owe all my success and complete turnaround in my GPA, from failing to three straight semesters on the Dean’s List, directly to the MSSC,” Ruiz said. “The Office of Financial Aid has made returning back to school feasible, affordable, and a reality. As a father with two beautiful little girls, I thought I could never be able to afford going back to school while providing for my family. Financial Aid’s support and easy access to scholarships has really eased the stress of college.” Ruiz is now completing an internship as an assistant energy engineer at Entegrity, an energy consulting business where he hopes to work after his graduation in December 2018. He also plans to pursue a master’s degree in systems engineering. In the upper right photo,��Victor Ruiz is shown with solar panels that he works with at his internship as an assistant energy engineer at Entegrity. Photo by Ben Krain.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock to hold Memorial Day Service on May 29

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 25 May 2018 17:08:02 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will hold a special Memorial Day observance in honor of those who died while serving our country at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 29, at the Donaghey Student Center Ledbetter Hall.�� Lt. Col. David Knight Jr. will give the invocation, while Sharon Downs and Karen Kuralt will sing the national anthem. Members of the Arkansas National Guard will perform “Taps.” Kathy Oliverio, director of military student success, will give the welcome and closing remarks. Michelle Beck, president of Students Affected by the Military, will also give remarks. Col. Shawn Daniel of Little Rock will serve as the keynote speaker. Daniel graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1993 and was first commissioned as an infantry officer with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Shawn Daniel

In 2001, Daniel commanded a U.S. Army Ranger unit and led a parachute assault in Afghanistan. He spearheaded U.S. and NATO efforts in the southern portion of the country in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and deployed again in June 2002. Following command and general staff college studies, Daniel deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He returned to the 75th Ranger Regiment in 2007 to assume duties as the regimental strategic plans and requirements officer and as the regimental executive officer. During his tenure at the Ranger Regimental Headquarters, he deployed several times to Afghanistan, serving as the operations officer for the Special Operations Joint Task Force in continuing support for Operation Enduring Freedom. Daniel took command of 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry Airborne at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska in June 2010 and once again deployed to Afghanistan as part of the International Security Force Assistance mission. Following redeployment, he attended the U.S. Army War College Fellowship at the Harvard Kennedy School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His final assignment was at the U.S. Special Operations Command Headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, as the director of the Afghanistan Division in the Operations Directorate. Daniel now lives in Little Rock with his wife, Dena, and children, Katie Grace and Jake.

Doyle Rankins’ graduation day is nearly 50 years in the making

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 08 May 2018 15:53:03 +0000

The first time Doyle Rankins was a student at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 1970, he was a 19-year-old rail service worker for Missouri Pacific Railroad (now Union Pacific) as well as a member of the Arkansas Air National Guard.�� With a work schedule that often shifted from days to nights, Rankins often had to quit classes in the middle of the semester to make his ever-shifting schedule work. He often muses that if online classes had existed in the 1970s, he could have finished his degree much faster. As an online student the second time around, Rankins completed a Bachelor of Applied Science and will graduate May 12 at the Jack Stephens Center – 48 years after he first started at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Rankins married Susan Gardner in 1972, and the couple took some classes together at the university. By the time their first daughter, Ellen Edwards, was born in 1974, Rankins’ first round at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock had ended. The family briefly moved to St. Louis, where Rankins took classes for a year at St. Louis Community College-Meremac and the couple’s second daughter, Sherry Rankins-Robertson, associate professor of rhetoric and writing at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, was born. The couple returned to Little Rock in 1977 and welcomed their son, Matthew Rankins. During his 43-year career at Union Pacific, Rankins was a hard worker who once oversaw an area that stretched from Chicago to Yuma, Arizona. He was responsible for overseeing a workforce of more than 300 people and often flew on a helicopter to train derailment sites all over the country. Rankins-Robertson recalls how her parents instilled a strong work ethic and appreciation for higher education in her and her siblings. “My parents preached the importance of a college education to us since we were very little,” she said. “They were really passionate about us going to school. There was no one more passionate than my dad about me finishing my bachelor’s degree because I had a baby at 19. In their generation, having children meant going to work–not finishing school.”

Doyle Rankins stands on the Union Pacific 1960s patio caboose that bears his name. Photo by Ben Krain.

Rankins retired from Union Pacific in 2012 as director of Mechanical Maintenance Transportation-Southern Region. He started his own consulting business, Rankins Railroad Service, in 2013 and still works 12 hour a day, six days a week. While all three of his children and his granddaughter have earned college degrees from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Rankins got his chance at finishing his bachelor’s degree when Rankins-Robertson encouraged him to meet with Kathy Oliverio, director of military student success. The Bachelor of Applied Science degree is geared toward adults with military service. In 2016, he became an online student at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, nearly 40 years after the last time he attended college. His favorite classes included several writing courses, Earth Science, and ethics. His favorite professors included Melvin Beavers, Gerald Driskill, Simon Hawkins, Melissa Johnson, Wendy McCloud, and Kathy Oliverio. Rankins-Robertson will play a special role in her father’s graduation ceremony. As a faculty member, she will get to hand her father his diploma. “I am very excited. I was also able to award my daughter her degree last year, so it feels as if I have come full circle to award the generation below and above me their degrees,” she said. As for his post-graduation plans, Rankins is not giving up on school just yet. He plans to pursue a graduate degree in rhetoric and writing at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock as well as continue to run his consulting business. “I work today because I want to, not because I have to. I will keep working for as long as I am physically able, and I will keep doing education as well. I definitely want to keep doing things,” Rankins said. “People have asked me what am I going to do when I get out of college, and I ask them if they are crazy. What else could I do?”

New signs acknowledge ��Vlog��ý Little Rock as ‘Purple Heart University’

Jenny Lambert — Wed, 02 May 2018 21:40:08 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock recently received the signage for its designation as a “Purple Heart University,” a moniker signifying the university’s recognition and support for veterans who were wounded in combat while serving the country. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock received this honor in the fall of 2016 and is now among 40 colleges and universities with the distinction, as awarded by the Military Order of the Purple Heart, a national nonprofit organization whose membership consists of veterans who have been awarded the Purple Heart medal for wounds received in combat. In 1992, the organization instituted a National Purple Heart Trail Program to create a symbolic and honorary system of roads, highways, bridges, cities, counties, monuments, military installations, universities, and other institutions that give tribute to Purple Heart recipients. The Department of Arkansas and Central Arkansas Chapter 431 of the National Order of the Purple Heart awarded ��Vlog��ý Little Rock with a plaque and proclamation that reads, in part, “The University of Arkansas at Little Rock appreciates the sacrifices our Purple Heart recipients made in defending our freedoms and believe it is important that we acknowledge them for their courage and show them the honor and support they have earned.” Both items hang in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Military Student Success Center. For more information, contact Kathy Oliverio, director of military student success, at 501-682-8387.

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Veterans Day ceremony highlights unique experiences of military students

����Vlog��ý Little Rock to host military appreciation week for servicemembers