By Matthew Cimitile, University Communications and Marketing
Four USF students earned spots in a national program where they’ll learn to lead campus initiatives that address issues impacting student veterans and the military-connected community, from mental health to career development.
The students will be part of the National Veterans Leadership Foundation (NVLF) military-connected advocate program and receive scholarships and access to project funding. They will join more than 100 other students across the nation in serving for a year as an advocate.
Past advocates created suicide prevention programs, established mentoring initiatives, sponsored trauma-informed writing projects and more, according to NVLF.
USF student Zayle Ruiz hopes to collaborate with local mental health providers to organize resource fairs for military-connected students.
Zayle Ruiz during her service in the Army.
Ruiz was in the Army for eight years, working in logistics for infantry units and, as she put it, “supporting the force behind the fight.” Her own experiences with mental health in the military inspired her to become an advocate.
“During my last duty station, I was in need of mental health support, but it proved very challenging to talk to someone and get resources,” said Ruiz, who is majoring in Psychology on the St. Petersburg campus. “I saw other soldiers around me who were struggling with mental health, so it was something in high demand that was not being met. I hope to make this issue far more visible in our community and help those in need get connected to resources available.”
For Daniel Lee, his interest in the program came from an upbringing in military culture, with a father who served in the military for 20 years.
“I hope this opportunity provides me the chance to meet new people and understand these challenges better while doing something that helps others who had a similar upbringing like me and those just getting out of the military,” said Lee, a Finance student on the Tampa campus.
In addition to Ruiz and Lee, USF students Daisy Brown and Gabriella Oliver were also selected for the program.
USF is a founding university member of NVLF and has had students selected as military-connected advocates for the past three years. Last year, the university also earned the Collegiate Purple Star Campus Program state desigation for its continued commitment to supporting military students and families.
Besides funding, each military-connected advocate participates in career workshops. They also network with other student advocates across the nation, brainstorming on how to build programs that strengthen military-connected communities on college campuses.
“A program like this raises general awareness on issues affecting military-connected students, helping to bridge cross-cultural gaps between them and students who don’t come from those backgrounds,” said Renee Amboy, interim director for USF’s Office of Veteran Success (OVS). “It also creates the leaders of tomorrow, empowering these students on how to advocate and create change.”
Over the summer, USF military-connected advocates and OVS staff will start to receive support and guidance on how to launch and then sustain initiatives developed through this program on their campus.
“My mom always told me, “If you want to see change, then you have to be a part of it,’” said Ruiz, whose parents both served in the military. “I want every veteran integrating back into civilian life to feel a sense of belonging. I think this is a great opportunity to provide just that.”