Joining the military can be a daunting task for anyone. The challenges alone are enough to discourage even the most determined. Add college on top of that, and the obstacles grow even larger. Yet through it all, many service members persevere — and succeed.
The University of Memphis held a Veterans and Service Members Graduation Ceremony on Nov. 11 at 6 p.m. in the University Center, recognizing and congratulating graduating students who have served in the military.
“It’s basically a way to decorate them at graduation,” said Marisa Tripp, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and Student Veterans president. “Most people like to be decorated with their honor cords, so we wanted to do something on the veteran side of things.”
The ceremony not only celebrated academic accomplishments, but also gave students with military backgrounds an opportunity to come together and connect.
“Any time we have an opportunity to bring our military students together, as well as our supporters on campus, it’s a great time,” said Chris Bourque, director of Veterans and Military Student Support.
Some of the graduating students expressed appreciation for the event and for the university’s recognition of their hard work and service.
“It’s definitely good to see the university take the time to put on an event to show recognition to veteran students,” said Jun Cai, a graduating health sciences student.
The event served as both a celebration of academic achievement and a reminder of the perseverance, discipline and commitment shared by those who balance military service with higher education.
Darien Anderson can be contacted at djndrsn8@memphis.edu.
Veterans were honored with cords for their military service.
