MANSFIELD, PA— Mansfield University honored students, faculty, staff and administrators who are Veterans, Reserves, ROTC or Active Duty Military with a Veteran Appreciation Luncheon on Thursday, November 9 in North Manser Hall.
Interim President Scott Barton thanked all members of the Mansfield family who have served and are serving in the military.
“We are here today to honor our heroes and remember their achievements, their courage and their commitment,” Barton said. “We are here to say thank you for your service. Thinking of the heroes in this room today, and those that are only here in spirit, a person can’t help but feel a sense of admiration by the enormity of their service to our country. ”
Command Chief Master Sergeant Regina Stoltzfus of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard was the guest speaker.
Stoltzfus told her personal story of how the Air Force took her from East Los Angeles allowed her to see the world. She also talked about dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD) after deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and shared what she and other veterans learn from that experience.
“Battle scars are a part of us, but they are not what defines us,” she said. “What defines us is the character we’ve gained from those battle scars. We have structure and self-discipline and leadership, and all those things make us great people. We’ve learned from that adversity to stand tall and we to know when to follow and when to lead.”
Four MU students who are veterans were awarded scholarships the luncheon.
The Shirey-Cromley Yellow Ribbon Scholarship was awarded to Joshua Johnson.
The scholarship, established in 2014 by Brenda (Shirey) Cromley, a 1977 Mansfield graduate, and her husband Marlin Cromley, an Air Force veteran, is to provide recognition and financial assistance to veterans to assist and enable them to pursue a college education and find lasting success on the home-front.
Johnson also received the MU Military Scholarship along with Larry Anderson, Tyler Moffe and Kylan Sattler.
Sattler also received the Mansfield Foundation Members of the Military Scholarship.
The scholarship funds have been raised by the MU Veterans Support Group, which is comprised of faculty, staff and student veterans.
The Veterans Appreciation Luncheon was sponsored by Arnot Sportsmen’s Cub, Blossburg American Legion Post 572, Scott and Pam Boyce, Denise Davey, Dan and Mindy Hoffman (in honor of Michael and Amay Hoffman), Knoxville VFW Post 6753, Roger Maisner, Mansfield Foundation, Mansfield VFW Post 6757, Morris Run American Legion Post 167, MU ROTC, MU Chapter of the Student Veterans of America, Wade and Tanya Reese, Troy Vets Club and Dusty Zeyn.
The event sponsored by the MU Military & Veteran Affairs Office.
For information about academic programs and support for Military and Veterans at MU, go to mansfield.edu/military-veterans
To see more photos from the luncheon, click here.