Graduating student veterans were celebrated at the Campus Center on May 25 for The Student Veterans Recognition Lunch.
They invited students’ family and friends and some staff to celebrate with them, the Director of Veterans Success Center Maria Buffo said.
Veteran students from 2020, 2021 and 2022 were invited due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Buffo said.
The way student veterans are celebrated takes inspiration from military practices, Buffo said.
“In the military, you know every time we moved ranks they used to have a little ceremony where you stand and you have somebody that you select to pin you your new rank,” Buffo said. “… With that kind of idea in mind, we like to pin them with our shield.”
Buffo said they pin student veterans with the Veterans Success Center shield as a promotion out of Citrus as they move on to a new school or into the workforce. Students were supposed to get their stole at the ceremony however they were backordered, Buffo said.
Buffo said another part of the ceremony is giving out a challenge coin to a veteran staff member or a student veteran who has stood out. One side of the coin is to represent the school and the other is for the Veterans Success Center, Buffo said.
This year the Dean of Students Maryann Tolano-Leveque picked Buffo as the recipient of the coin. Buffo was in the United States Navy for five years and was part of the construction battalion. From 1998 to 2003 she did carpentry in the battalion.
Buffo said Tolano-Leveque awarding her the coin was sweet.
Buffo said determining a student recipient for the coin was difficult since their main contact has been through phone calls, emails and Zoom with this semester being the first one back in-person.
Hopefully when students start coming back to school it will make it easier to determine who gets a challenge coin, Buffo said.
Buffo said she cannot say enough about her work-study students as she has gotten to know them since they have been working with her since August.
One of those work-study and student veterans who is graduating is Jixing Bian, who is majoring in computer science.
Bian said he heard Citrus was a veteran-friendly school and that is why he attended.
Bian said an adjustment period took place when he returned to school.
“The first semester when I sit in the classroom is not that easy,” Bian said. “It took me maybe just only (the) winter semester to get used to the school again.”
Bian said the most challenging part is students are sharper than him academically since he has been away so long.
Bian said he served in the United States Army from 2015 to 2018.
Bian said the event was meaningful for veteran recognition. Students came to the front of the ceremony and received a certificate, Bian said.
The ceremony was a good way to bring veteran students together, Bian said.
Another work-study and student veteran who is graduating is Oscar Hernandez, who is majoring in civil engineering.
Hernandez said he served in the U.S. Air Force from 2016 to 2020 and transitioned to the Air National Guard.
Coming back to school brought some challenges, Hernandez said.
“Since I was like gone for basically four years, I guess it was, it’s weird talking to people like all my friends are four years younger than me,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez said having to do the online format due to the COVID-19 pandemic was the biggest hurdle.
Hernandez said the most memorable part of the ceremony was having his mother there to see him get a certificate and pin.The ceremony felt like a good send off for student veterans, Hernandez said.
Hernandez said what he will remember most is seeing new veteran students come in and be in the position he used to be. Hernandez said the advice he would give to those incoming veteran students is to keep going and do not give up.
