News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Tennessee Tech’s Military and Veteran Affairs Department honored student veterans of past and present in a ceremony Thursday.
Director of Financial Aid and Veterans Affairs Mary McCaskey said that she is proud to be a part of a university that wants to ensure the success of its students both as veterans and as they transition to civilian life.
“When a veteran chooses Tennessee Tech for themselves or for their children, they’re choosing more than this university,” McCaskey said. “They are choosing our community.”
McCaskey said that each year she is humbled by the effort and support of the Tech community who work to make our veterans feel a part of the community.
Those gathered heard from student and alumni veterans, family members of veterans, and President Phil Oldham.
“As the nation observes Veterans Day today we continue to ee many reminds of the sacrifices and service of veterans and their families,” Oldham said. “Today I wanted to make sure that along with those national tributes, we focus on our Tech veterans who study and work beside us every day. There are at least 400 veterans working towards a Tennessee Tech degree currently and there are many faculty and staff who served our country and now serve our students. I know that that’s a significant percentage, I think it’s significantly less than one percent of Americans now have military service in their past or future, and here at Tennessee Tech it’s something over four percent.”
Oldham said that Tennessee Tech and military service members have been linked throughout history. He said that not just from the students who become servicemembers or servicemembers who are students, but from the countless family members of veterans that work and learn and Tech as well.
