Members of a local veterans group take part in a past ceremonial flag raising and veterans appreciation ceremony at Penn State Scranton. This year, due to COVID-19, the campus will hold its Veterans Appreciation Day ceremony on Nov. 11 virtually, and then host a Veterans Educational Workshop via Zoom on Nov. 12.
DUNMORE, Pa. – Penn State Scranton will continue to honor and serve the needs of its veteran and active-duty military student population and local veterans in the community with two virtual events slated for the week of Veterans Day.
On Wednesday, Nov. 11 -- Veterans Day -- the campus will host a Veterans Appreciation Day from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m. Then, on Thursday, Nov. 12, there will be a Veterans Educational Workshop for current and prospective students beginning at 5:45 p.m.
Both events will take place on Zoom. To register for these events, visit the campus’ Diversity, Equity and Inclusion events page at https://scranton.psu.edu/diversity-and-inclusion/multicultural-student-programs/dei-events.
The campus always makes it a point to observe Veterans Day, and will continue to honor that tradition despite the health restrictions put in place by the COVID-19 pandemic preventing an in-person event. The Veterans Appreciation Day will feature remarks by Lecturer in Information Sciences and Technology and Program Co-coordinator Fred Aebli, a Marine Corps veteran, and Enrollment Specialist Stacy Shattuck, the campus’ veteran certifying official.
In addition, the event will include a slide show, a videotaped gun salute, and performances of Taps and “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
“The goal for the event is to remind our students and the local military community that we stand behind them and appreciate the sacrifices they’ve made,” Shattuck said.
“Events that bring veterans, their families and our communities together are needed now more than ever,” Aebli added. “Even if virtual, taking the time to reflect on veterans and their service is an important fiber that keeps our country together and focused on the service to our country in times of challenge and times of peace.”
The following day, the Veterans Educational Workshop will provide a comprehensive overview of the campus’ many educational, financial and career resources for vets, active-duty military personnel and their families.
The event will be similar in spirit to last year’s Veterans Employment & Education Conference, which was funded by the Scranton Area Community Foundation-administered Robert H. Spitz Foundation.
At the event, Shattuck will discuss how vets and active military can apply to Penn State and make the most of the educational benefits and financial resources available to them. Meanwhile, Coordinator of Career Services Jon Tobin will give a presentation on ways that veterans can translate their job interviewing skills from a traditional in-person setting to the virtual realm.
“It requires a whole new approach in regards to preparation and successful implementation of interviewing techniques,” Tobin said.
In addition, the event will include a Q&A centered on the perspectives of veteran and active military campus students.
“The hope is to provide resources and information to our local community of veterans so they can pursue their goals of higher education, but more importantly so they know Penn State is here to support them and get them where they want to be,” Shattuck said.
For more on campus resources available to veterans and active-duty military, visit https://scranton.psu.edu/admission/veteran-military-students or contact Shattuck at [email protected].
