As the start of the school year approaches, the executive board of the NIU Veterans Association is laying down plans for events that will take place throughout the year. The NIU Veterans Association exists to promote and support the academic and social experience of veterans here at Northern Illinois University.
Leading this organization for 2017-18, are five new members of the executive board: Kwamayne King, Matthew Moore, Steve Hohbein, Brian Berchtold and Alan Rodriguez. The president, Kwamayne King, is a psychology major with four years of active duty with the United States Army. Matthew Moore, the vice president, is a political science major with four years of active duty with the U.S. Army and two years in the U.S. Army Active Reserves. The treasurer, Steve Hohbein, is working on his Masters in public health after serving six years of active service with the U.S. Navy. Brian Berchtold, the public affairs officer, is working on his Doctorate in adult and higher education after five years of active duty with the U.S. Navy. Lastly, the sergeant-at-arms is Alan Rodriguez, who is majoring in physical education after serving active duty with the U.S. Marines for four years.
“Our main goal (this year) is to engage with both the military community and the NIU community in new ways to grow the NIU Veteran family,” Moore said. After several years of holding its traditional events, including tailgating for all of NIU’s home football games and leading the campus events for Veteran’s Day, the NIU Veterans Association is starting to look at new events that would allow them to engage more with NIU and its community.
If you are a student veteran and are interested in learning more about the organization, the NIU Veterans Association can be followed on social media and can be engaged at the Vets House at 824 Greenbrier Road in DeKalb. The Vets House provides a place for student veterans to live with other student veterans. If you are a student veteran and are interested in living in the Vets House, contact the property manager at 815-739-6371.
The NIU Veterans Association will be kicking off the school year by joining NIU’s Office of Military and Post-Traditional Student Services (MPTSS) for its third annual Military Student Open House on Saturday, Aug. 26, in the Campus Life Building Room 100 from 4:30-5:30 p.m. The Open House is a great chance for incoming and returning military students to meet the Veterans Association and hear from the MPTSS staff about how the office serves students as well as processes state and federal benefits. This event will be immediately followed by MPTSS’ sixth annual Start NIU BBQ on the North Lawn of Adams Hall. Both events are part of the Welcome Days schedule of activities.
