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

��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.

University Writing Center to hold bake sale for veterans

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 22:12:31 +0000

The University Writing Center at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock will hold a bake sale to raise money for veterans on Monday, Nov. 20. The bake sale will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Donaghey Student Center. All proceeds will go to volunteer services at veterans hospitals in the Little Rock area and will be used to purchase necessity items for local veterans in need. The University Writing Center, located in Student Union B Room 116, was developed to help clients with their writing at any stage of the writing process. It is located in the Student Union B Room 116. For more information, call 501-569-8343.

Student veterans to share experiences during ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Veterans Day ceremony

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 08 Nov 2017 15:34:49 +0000

Three student veterans will serve as the guest speakers during the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Veterans Day ceremony on Friday, Nov. 10. Conrad De Le Pas, a retired senior master sergeant from the U.S. Air Force, Kim Thornton, a U.S. Air Force veteran, and Caleb Wakefield, a U.S. army 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 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. Comments will also be given by Joe Lutker, president of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s student organization Students Affected by the Military, and Cheryl Kleeman, who will lead the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance and a moment of silence. Joseph Filipek, music major, will perform the drumroll, while Dr. Linda Holzer, a professor of music and coordinator of classical piano studies, will play a solo piano arrangement of the national anthem. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students and employees are encouraged to wear red, white, and blue on Nov. 10 to honor those who have served our country.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock honors gold star families at Memorial Day Service

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 02 Jun 2017 15:58:51 +0000

During a May 30 Memorial Day ceremony, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock honored families whose relatives made the ultimate sacrifice while serving their country. “Memorial Day is about remembering those who served and sacrificed their lives for this country,” Chancellor Andrew Rogerson said. “This year we are honoring Gold Star families. Let us never forget Memorial Day is the time for Americans, as one body, to stand and say, ‘Thank you; we remember you; we are eternally grateful to you.’” Gold Star families are immediate relatives of U.S. Armed Forces members who died in battle or in support of certain military activities. The term is a World War I reference. “Family members would hang a service flag in their window, which included a blue star for every immediate family member serving in the Armed Forces,” said Kathy Oliverio, director of military student success. “If a family member was killed in action, the blue star was replaced with a gold star.” During the ceremony, the Little Rock Air Force Base Honor Guard presented the colors, while Mandi Carreiro and Karen Kuralt sang the national anthem. Michael Eubanks, secretary of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Students Affected by the Military, played taps via saxophone. Guest speaker Chief Master Sergeant Bubba Beason, who retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2016, described how a 2007 encounter with a Gold Star mother changed his life forever. Then-First Sergeant Beason was participating in a marathon in commemoration of the Bataan Death March. When the U.S. surrendered the Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines to the Japanese in 1943, approximately 75,000 Filipino and American troops were forced to march a treacherous 65-mile journey to prison camps. Thousands of soldiers died during the march. While at the marathon, Beason struck up a conversation with Janice Bridges, who was wearing a pin with a picture of her son Michael Paul Bridges. Beason asked where Michael was stationed, but Janice replied that she was a Gold Star mother.

Retired Chief Master Sergeant Bubba Beason describes his experience with Gold Star Families.

Beason was unfamiliar with the term, so Janice explained her son was killed in Iraq the previous year (2006), weeks before he was scheduled to come home. “I didn’t know what to say,” Beason said. “I couldn’t believe that after 16 years in the military I did not know what a Gold Star mother is.” Moved by her story, Beason asked Janice if he could carry one of Michael’s possessions during the marathon to honor his sacrifice. Janice gave him Michael’s watch, which gave Beason great strength during the marathon. “Every time I wanted to stop, I looked at Michael’s watch,” Beason said. “The pain I was going through was nothing compared to the pain Michael’s mother was going through.” “Since that day 10 years ago, I’ve approached life differently,” Beason said. “My life changed because I met a Gold Star mother.” To honor his fallen brothers and sisters, Beason organized the first. Now in its fifth year, the event draws people from throughout the state who walk a mile in honor of every Arkansas service member who died while serving since Sept. 11, 2001. Beason has helped organize similar runs in New Jersey, California, Arizona, and South Carolina. “They are my brothers and sisters,” Beason said. “It is my duty to remember their sacrifices every day.” In the upper right photo, Janessa Rogerson and Chancellor Andrew Rogerson watch Michael Eubanks play the taps during ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s May 30 Memorial Day service. Photo by Lonnie Timmons III/��Vlog��ý Little Rock Communications.

New center will help military students at ��Vlog��ýLR

Ajani Oyindamola — Mon, 19 Dec 2016 23:01:11 +0000

When Stelicia Christian was ready to use her military education benefits at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, she was not sure where to have her questions answered. With the opening of a new ��Vlog��ýLR Military Student Success Center, the 23-year-old senior history major and Arkansas National Guard member is looking forward to the convenience of having the university’s military student resources in one location in the ��Vlog��ýLR Speech Communication building. “I’m very excited about the center,” Christian said. “Other students will have an easier time than I did with everything being in a centralized location. It will make everything much easier and make ��Vlog��ýLR a more welcoming place for military students to take classes.” The center will serve as a place where military students can socialize, study, and get information about�� resources. The 1,634-square-foot facility has a computer area, where military students can do homework, as well as a lounge area and a break room. The center will house a veteran student support team that includes representatives from the offices of admissions, records and registration, transfer student services, financial aid and veterans benefits, academic advising, student health, mental health counseling, career advising, disabilities resource center, and ��Vlog��ýLR’s military student support organization, Students Affected by the Military. ��Vlog��ýLR Chancellor Andrew Rogerson called the center another example of the university’s commitment to its military students. “While many of us go about our day-to-day lives, our military students manage the delicate balance of their commitment to serve our country, civilian life, academia, and a host of other responsibilities,” Rogerson said. “We hope this center will make that balance easier and provide you with additional resources, comradery, and a sense of connection.” Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs and Provost Zulma Toro recognized the efforts of Kathy Oliverio, ��Vlog��ýLR director of military student success, Cheryl Kleeman, veterans affairs coordinator in ��Vlog��ýLR’s Office of Veterans Affairs, and Sherry Rankins-Robertson, associate vice chancellor for student success and online education, and their teams for the hard work needed to get the center running. “They have been trying to get this going for at least three or four years, and finally it’s a reality,” said Toro, who is leaving ��Vlog��ýLR to become president of Central Connecticut State University on Jan. 3. “What a way for me to wrap up my tenure as provost at ��Vlog��ýLR. I would really like to express my appreciation for the military students. We really appreciate you. We are very thankful to your service to the country.” The center was funded by a $9,963 grant from and. The grant is part of the Vet Center Initiative, which was created in 2014 to support the Student Veterans of America mission to provide veterans with the resources, support, and advocacy needed to succeed in higher education and after they graduate. “This is really a time to celebrate,” Oliverio said. “It’s a great time for our military students and their success at ��Vlog��ýLR. It would not be possible without the Student Veterans of America and the Home Depot grant, and for that, I am ever so grateful.” Several special guests attended the center’s ribbon-cutting ceremony on Dec. 16. Attendees included: Anita Deason, military liaison for Sen. John Boozman; David Carnahan, military liaison for Congressman French Hill; Steve Eggensberger, military liaison for Gov. Asa Hutchinson; Little Rock Air Force Base Education Officer Michael Jones; U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Vocational Rehabilitation Director Trena Hyde; and Mike Ross, Mark Diggs, and Bill Asti, members of Veterans Villages of America board of directors. In the upper right photo, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Zulma Toro and Chancellor Andrew Rogerson cut the ribbon on ��Vlog��ýLR’s new Military Student Success Center Dec. 16 in the ��Vlog��ýLR Speech Building. Photo by Rayna Mackey.

��Vlog��ýLR to open Military Student Success Center Friday, Dec. 16

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 14 Dec 2016 20:11:41 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will celebrate the opening of a new center for student veterans on Friday, Dec. 16. The ribbon cutting for the ��Vlog��ýLR Military Student Success Center will be held at 9 a.m. Dec. 16, in Room 111 of the Speech Building. “The ��Vlog��ýLR Military Student Success Center was created to facilitate a sense of community for ��Vlog��ýLR’s military students,” said Kathy Oliverio, ��Vlog��ýLR director of military student success. “The center will provide a support system for the unique needs of active duty military members, veterans, and military dependents.” The center will serve as a centralized location where military students can socialize, study, and get information about the many resources available to them. The 1,634-square-foot facility contains a computer area where military students can do homework, as well as a lounge area and a break room. The center will house a veteran student support team that includes representatives from the offices of admissions, records and registration, transfer student services, financial aid and veterans benefits, academic advising, student health, mental health counseling, career advising, disabilities resource center, and ��Vlog��ýLR’s military student support organization, Students Affected by the Military. Earlier in the year, ��Vlog��ýLR received a $9,963 grant from and to renovate space on campus to create a student veteran center. The grant is part of the Vet Center Initiative, which was created in 2014 to support the Student Veterans of America mission to provide veterans with the resources, support, and advocacy needed to succeed in higher education and after they graduate.

��Vlog��ýLR student wins car, donates it to friend

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 17:25:35 +0000

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock student received a car from a veterans’ nonprofit organization and paid the generosity forward by giving the car to a friend in need. Destinie Boren, a junior who is double majoring in studio arts and criminal justice, won the car from, a nonprofit organization working for the economic well being and quality of life of veterans. One of the organization’s initiatives is giving away donated cars to students who are veterans or family members of veterans. Boren is the daughter of National Guard member Bruce Boren of Dover, Arkansas. He has served in Afghanistan, Iran, and Iraq, and will deploy to Africa in 2017. Gov. Asa Hutchinson selected Boren to receive the car during a drawing after the of the Arkansas State Veterans Home in North Little Rock. Students who are members of the ��Vlog��ýLR Students Affected by the Military group entered their names at the Veteran Villages of America website. “I got an email saying Asa Hutchinson pulled my name in the drawing to receive a car,” Boren said. “I was very excited to say Asa Hutchinson touched something with my name on it.” Mike Ross, chairman of the board of directors of Veterans Villages of America, presented the 2004 Buick LaSabre to Boren on Dec. 1 at a ceremony near the ��Vlog��ýLR Student Services Center. A World War II veteran donated the car.

Savon Thomas and Destinie Boren

“We want to invest in our student veterans,” Ross said. “They are going to be our future leaders.” Already having a working vehicle, Boren decided to give the car to a friend, Savon Thomas, a sophomore biology major, whose mother’s car broke down two months ago. “I’m giving the car to Savon and his family, because everyone needs a little help at times,” said Boren, who is moving to Florida in January for an internship at Disney World. “I would rather give the car away than have it sitting there not being used.” Thomas is grateful for his friend’s generosity. “I’ve never been given a car before. This is like something you hear about in movies,” said Thomas, who plans to become a pediatrician. “This is a God-sent blessing. There is no way I can thank Destinie enough.” In the upper right photo, Veteran Villages of America donated a car to Destinie Boren, the daughter of National Guard member Bruce Boren of Dover, Arkansas. Pictured, from left to right, are Kathy Oliverio, ��Vlog��ýLR director of military student success, Mark Diggs, Chancellor Andrew Rogerson, Destinie Boren, Mike Ross, chairman of the board of directors of Veterans Villages of America, and Bill Asti.

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

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

University Writing Center to hold bake sale for veterans

Student veterans to share experiences during ����Vlog��ý Little Rock Veterans Day ceremony

����Vlog��ý Little Rock honors gold star families at Memorial Day Service

New center will help military students at ����Vlog��ýLR

����Vlog��ýLR to open Military Student Success Center Friday, Dec. 16