TO THE EDITOR:
Thursday’s article on student veterans gave only a cursory overview of the obstacles student veterans face at Carolina.
We’ve gained a great deal of momentum the past two years, largely due to the hard work of students, and an incredible amount of self-advocacy continues to be required .
While there are many members of Carolina’s student body, faculty, staff and administration who work tirelessly to support veteran students through various means, we are still struggling to establish desperately needed resources.
We need a dedicated space stocked to accommodate their needs, dedicated staff and thoughtful policies that consider their specific circumstances. Until these needs are met, student veterans will continue to struggle, and Carolina will risk losing a valuable group of diverse past and future leaders. Gov. Pat McCrory’s executive order 49 expresses the goal of “making North Carolina the state of choice for veterans.”
Why, then, should we not have the goal of making Carolina the destination university for student veterans? The student veteran population at Carolina is growing. Just how much is uncertain because the University has not been tracking students’ veteran status.
As a result, we don’t know how many there are nor can we ensure we reach them all with information about the resources and peer support that are currently available.
If you are a Carolina veteran — student, faculty, staff or alumnus — and are interested in being involved in some way, please reach out to the Carolina Veterans Organization. As the demonstrated need grows, so too will our progress.
Lara Taylor
