Staff & Students at the Wreath-Laying Ceremony

This Veterans Day, Methodist University would like to thank all our service members for their selfless contributions to our country. Their bravery will never be forgotten.

This Veterans Day, Methodist University would like to thank all our service members for their selfless contributions to our country. Their bravery will never be forgotten.

As a small gesture of appreciation, Methodist University proudly honored our veterans with not a single event, but a whole week of celebrations.

Military and Veterans Appreciation Week kicked off with MU’s annual Wreath-Laying Ceremony on Monday, Nov. 7, a time of remembrance and gratitude for the campus. Dr. Beth Carter, vice provost for Online & Extended Learning, and veteran student Roland Benavidez handled the duties of laying the wreath as another veteran student Mathew Malone delivered a touching keynote speech.

“Selfless service has been the hallmark for military service,” said Malone, a senior at MU who spent most of his military career as a U.S. Marine infantryman, U.S. Navy corpsman and U.S. Army pilot (1995-2020). “Our history is filled with heroes who have acted with absolute selflessness to save their fellow service members. All served for something greater than themselves… We no longer thought in the first-person singular, but rather in the first-person plural— I and me gave way to us and we.”

The University also provided a variety of food-centered events for veterans throughout the week – including a cookout, free drinks at the school’s Starbucks, grab-and-go lunches, and a cake to celebrate the United States Marine Corps’ birthday.

Even though MU’s veterans were deservedly on the receiving end of many events, they also found a way to give back to the community. One example was on Wednesday, Nov. 9, when MU’s Student Veterans of America (SVA) and Chi Delta Chi collected warm-weather clothing from fellow Monarchs on campus to support a local veteran organization.

“It’s such a great opportunity for everyone to get together and celebrate the sacrifices that veterans have made,” said sophomore Alona Knisely, who served as a parachute rigger for the 82nd Airborne (2016-20). “All of the veterans are extremely grateful that Methodist University honored us with a whole week rather than one day. It also meant a lot that the University asked for our input on the week.”

Today on the morning of Veterans Day, Methodist University hosted its annual Step Up for Veteran Suicide Awareness at O’Hanlon Memorial Amphitheatre, where individuals and teams participated in an active fitness challenge to raise awareness for military and veteran suicide.

Next week, on Wednesday Nov. 16 at 11 a.m., Methodist University will host a Veterans Observance CIRCUIT at Matthews Chapel. A panel will discuss issues from the perspective of our women veterans, MU faculty, students and staff members.

For more information on the services Methodist University offers to current military, veterans and their family members, visit here.