Lisbette Castillo
The Student Veterans of America held a ceremony in the GC pit to honor fellow Veterans from FIU and their service to this country.
The event was held on Nov. 8 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
“This event is simply to give notice and appreciation to my brothers and sisters who, in a time of war, stepped up and volunteered to do great things on behalf of this nation,” said Israel Najarro, president of SVA.
For student veteran Ayaz Parbtani, sophomore studying Computer Science, helping with this event is important because it allows the opportunity for the veteran community to feel welcomed as students at FIU
“I think it is very important to welcome the veteran community back into the school services because these young men and women often leave out of high school,” said Parbtani. “It is very important that we kind of merge them with the student body so they can understand that their is not just one focused area that is whatever they were doing as a veteran as a soldier.”
Parbtani explains that there is opportunities after being in a University, and that networking is imperative for student veterans to succeed her at FIU.
“For me, the most important thing as a student veteran or a veteran is to network and get into contact with people,” said Parbtani. “The more people you know, the more people know you and the better at life you will be. I think if we do not work together we cannot succeed together.”
The ceremony consisted of a short speech given by Najarro honoring his fellow Veterans followed up by a meet and greet.
During Najarro’s speech, he reflected on his fellow FIU student veterans and shared how each of their experiences are unique.
“Each of these heroes carries a different story in their heart while these differences are important and valuable, it’s their similarities that we should seek to emulate,” said Najarro. “Loyalty, strength, courage, selfishness, compassion, integrity, and dedication to duty are a few things that bind these veterans together as pillars of our community here at FIU and elsewhere.”
Students had the opportunity to speak to the SVA about their experiences in the service. There will be photos of FIU Veterans on display throughout the day.
The SVA Veterans Ceremony was open to everyone in the FIU community and public.
Najarro encourages people to attend the event and show their support for the Veterans.
“We are absolutely blessed to live in a society with such a strong and proud military tradition and legacy,” said Najarro. “Such a small segment of our population served during the recent conflicts and often times it’s hard to notice that these people are even among us. The least we can do is recognize them and applaud their service and efforts.”
The SVA Veterans Day Ceremony is just one of many activities going on for Veterans Day. The SVA has a list of functions happening throughout the week, which can be found on their Orgsync page.
“I would like our fellow students to understand that Veterans are people just like them and that they aren’t damaged commodity. They are heroes who sacrificed much for the country and we should be honored to have them among us,” said Najarro.
Additional reporting by Stephanie Espaillat
About Post Author
