| Student Veteran's Cross-Country Ride for Education |
 |
WASHINGTON, DC - On June 2, student veteran leader Kiersten Downs began a 3,800 miles cross-country bike ride
to raise awareness and support for Student Veterans of America (SVA).
Downs, a doctoral student at the University of South Florida,
former-president of the USF SVA chapter, and a member of the SVA student
council, is making this three-month journey from San Francisco, CA to
Washington, DC.
"I chose to ride
for Student Veterans of America because I have seen firsthand the
important role that SVA chapters play in advocating for and assisting
student veterans on campuses across the country," Downs said. "I have
had the opportunity to work with some of the most talented and motivated
student veterans and I want to see them succeed."
Michael Dakduk, executive director of Student Veterans of America, commended Downs' commitment:
"Kiersten is an
exemplary leader. She is a tireless advocate for student veterans
locally, and has provided invaluable insights as a member of SVA's
national student council. But Kiersten isn't an anomaly. Veteran leaders
like her exist at every college and university in the United States.
Bringing attention to their efforts and education is essential."
Downs hopes that
her trip will inspire students to seek out student veteran
organizations, or create them if they do not yet exist.
"With the
continued support of SVA, student veteran organizations across the
country are changing the national dialogue surrounding veterans. Too
often, media stories highlighting military veterans are negative. I'm
working alongside my veteran colleagues to change this dialogue into one
that is focused on our strengths rather than weaknesses."
The ride's title
sponsor is the Veterans of Foreign Wars with additional support provided
by the George Washington University, VetAdvisor, Cannondale, and Voler.
At the completion of her ride, SVA will host a reception at the National Veterans Center in Washington, DC on August 6. Details on that event will be available soon. |
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment