UCO VetHERO Newsletter Volume 1 Issue 2 Brad Ward VetHERO Coordinator February 5, 2016 HONORING AMERICAN S WARRIORS RECEIVING DONATION FROM KISS IN THIS ISSUE By: Brad Ward The UCO VetHERO office was honored to receive an exclusive invitation, on behalf of Honoring America s Warriors, to Oklahoma City s Rock and Brews ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday, January 28, 2016. KISS band members, Paul Stanley, Tommy Thayer, Eric Singer and Gene Simmons, attended the event. The grand opening ceremony of Oklahoma City s Rock and Brews featured a private luncheon of 100 veterans from across Oklahoma, hosted by the owners and KISS band members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons. The atmosphere was rockin with free food and great music. Attendees were able to meet and greet members of KISS and network with military personnel and veterans from across the state. Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett said a few words about our veterans before KISS took the stage and surprised everyone with a $20,000 donation to Honoring America s Warriors! Tommy Thayer personally served lunch and autographed memorabilia for attendees. Several UCO student veterans were able to attend the meet and greet. It was very humbling to witness them interact with our student veterans and let them know that they are appreciated and never forgotten. Continued on Page 5 Continued story of KISS Rock and Brews opening with veterans with additional pictures of UCO staff and students with the members of KISS. Page 5 Folds of Honor Scholarships Folds of Honor scholarship information, regarding applicants eligibility and requirements, are listed within the article. Page 4
2 Adaptive & Inclusive Recreation By Heather Kohl The Wellness Center is excited to announce that for the first time ever at UCO, sport chairs will be available for use! You can use these chairs for wheelchair basketball, wheelchair tennis and wheelchair table tennis. In addition to the daily use, we will also be using the sport chairs for Adaptive and Inclusive Recreation nights, wheelchair basketball intramurals, beginning January 21, 2016, adaptive sport clinics with the OKC VA and the UCO Endeavor Games. If you are interested in checking one out to use at the Wellness Center, simply hand your UCO ID to the worker at the front desk, and they will get you set up with a sports chair! If you are interested in adaptive sports come check out the next two adapted sport hours! Feb. 10 from 68 p.m. we will be playing sitting volleyball and Feb. 17 from 6-8p.m. we will be playing wheelchair basketball. All adapted sport hours are held at the UCO Wellness Center. Spring 2016 Career and Internship Fair by Brad Ward Take advantage of UCO s Spring 2016 Career and Internship Fair! This event is a great opportunity to network with potential employers for those looking for interships and fulltime jobs. A long time ago in a semester far far away, I myself went to one of UCO s career fair that lead me to obtaining an excellent internship that eventually lead to a full-time job after graduating. Take advantage of this opportunity. Even if your future occupation field or employer is not present, it is good interview and networking practice! Drop by our offices if you need any resume or interview help. I also tie a sharp double Windsor knot! Best of luck!
3 VETERAN ASSISTANCE AND INFORMATION DAY AAR Honoring Their Sacrifice. Educating Their Legacy. Mission Accomplished During the VetHERO event in January, our office helped raise awareness and provide assistance to over 75 student veterans here on campus! Folds of Honor Scholarships by Brad Veteran Partner Organizations The Veteran Assistance and Information Day helped over 75 student veterans network with over 15 different organizations that help veterans and their families in various ways. FAST FACTS: +28 Student Veterans joined the SVA Central Veterans group here on campus! Check them out on Facebook! +12 Student Veterans enrolled in the SSS SALUTE program and applied for scholarships. This February, Folds of Honor will be opening their scholarship applications for dependents to apply. Applications will be accepted February 1, 2016 through March 31, 2016. Applicants will be able to apply for the Folds of Honor scholarships listed on their website. Scholarships are valued up to $5, 000, for those that qualify. Folds of Honor s mission is to empower military families by providing educational scholarships to both children and spouses of military men and women killed or disabled while serving our nation. Their mission has helped award over 10,000 scholarships to recipients within every state across the country! In 2014, Folds of Honor awarded 2,122 scholarships, totaling over Ward $10.5 million, for military spouses and dependents. Their scholarship program has greatly impacted our military families across the country. A free Lunch and Learn, hosted by Folds of Honor, will be held Wednesday, February 17 2016. This event is designed for those interested in scholarships and about the organization. For more information regarding the Folds of Honor s organization and scholarships go to their website: foldsofhonor.org or visit Ken Horn or Brad Ward in the UCO VetHERO Office.
February Workshops Hands On and Results Focused by Brad Ward This month our office will be hosting an awesome lineup of workshops that benefit you greatly! These workshops will help inform you of your VA Health benefits, prepare you for graduate school, ways to use the library for easier researching and much more! Veterans who know what you need specifically design these workshops for you. These workshops are handson and result-focused to ensure our student veterans specific concerns and needs are addressed. UCO ROTC Annual 5K Gold Bar Run The UCO Broncho Battalion will be hosting the 4th annual 5K Gold Bar Run April 16, 2016. The event will be run by UCO Broncho Battalion s student organization and the the official timing will be provided by UltraMax Sports. Each runner will be provided a 5K Gold Bar Run t-shirt and a finishers medal. The top three male and female runners in the 15 different age groups receive an award. Registration will begin at 6 a.m., followed by the run beginning at 8 a.m. outside of the UCO Transformative Learning Center (CTL). The event is open to runners and walkers of all ages. Runners can register online at: https://www.signmeup.com/112449 The proceeds will benefit the UCO Broncho Battalion Student Organization and the Wounded Warrior Project.
5 UPCOMING EVENTS Honoring America s Warriors t, Saturday, March 19 join us for Hold em for Warriors Charity Night at EnZone Sports Bar in Oklahoma City. The evening begins at beginning at 7 p.m.. Military Family Day Mandatory Fun Day for all! Veteran Student Support Services (VSSS) will be hosting a recreational family day at UCO Outdoor Adventure and Recreation Center, Saturday, May 7. The event is open to all UCO veterans (students, staff and faculty) their families, and support organizations. Lunch and all sporting equipment will be provided! RSVP to Veteran Student Support Services in advance! OAR Workshop for Veterans Joe Ready will be presenting a workshop February 18, 2016 about the UCO OAR program, activities for veterans with disabilities