Columbia State Community College’s Student Veterans Organization students Laura West and Sarah Frazier recently attended the Student Veterans of America Regional Summit in Nashville.

“Student Veterans of America hosts a series of annual Regional Summits to help chapters prepare for their academic year of programming,” said Dr. Ginny Massey-Holt, Columbia State SVO adviser and associate professor of nursing. “We are given the tools and coaching necessary to plan and execute our chapter’s business, build community and develop leaders. Columbia State’s Student Veterans Organization is undergoing a post-Covid revitalization, and we look forward to what our new members have in store for 2023-2024.”

The Student Veterans of America Regional Summit exists for all Veterans Student Association chapter leaders, members and involved faculty and staff. The summit provides networking opportunities as well as lessons, tools, techniques and tactics to assist chapters in growing to be more sustainable and successful.

“We did a lot of team-building exercises where we learned about budgeting and recruitment,” said Frazier, Columbia State student veteran. “We gained a lot of knowledge and I think we can really use that going forward in order to rebuild the chapter.”

“In addition, there was a lot of networking, camaraderie and relationship building with different student veterans,” said West, Columbia State student veteran. “This was a lot more of an educational and beneficial experience than I anticipated it to be.”

The Columbia State Student Veterans Organization aims to provide camaraderie, a sense of belonging, and leadership opportunities to any student that has served or is currently serving in the military. The organization is open to all students, regardless of current or past affiliation with any military branch. For more information, visit www.ColumbiaState.edu/VSO.