This November, Baldwin Wallace University’s Student Veterans of America is hosting fundraisers to raise money to send students to NatCon, a national conference that allows student veterans to build leadership skills and share their personal experiences.   

For the fundraiser, they are selling tickets to the Cleveland Monsters Hockey Team to attend the Salute to Service Game, which is dedicated to supporting the student veterans of BW. Tickets are $25 each. 

Associate Director of Military and Transfer Student Access Kate Lentz said that she is a big hockey fan, and thought this would be a fun way to send two students to NatCon. At this conference, these student veterans will be able to gather and connect with others about their experiences and advocate for support they need. 

 “Our hopes that with the ticket sales, we can raise $500 and to be beneficiaries of the 50/50 raffle to reach our goal. It is kind of a big push to send them,” Lentz said. 

BW’s Student Veterans of America program is dedicated to creating education and networking skills and opportunities for veterans who are hoping to return home and continue their education. It also hopes to supply veterans with career and job opportunities by giving them resources and access to counseling, and companies that support and hire them.  

“It is here to build a space for student veterans to connect with each other, build camaraderie and to do some good in the community,” Lentz said. “We are still in the baby stages [of building the organization].” 

Student veterans often need someone to connect with because returning to college after serving in the military can be a different and new experience. This organization is meant to encourage and help those going back to school, and to give them the necessary support system to make the experience less daunting.  

The Cleveland Monsters fundraiser is not the program’s only fundraiser. Just recently, they had their first Bold and Gold Homecoming reunion, and they are hoping to celebrate with a veteran alumni network to connect with former students and student veterans on campus the following year.   

For more information about the fundraiser or the organization, contact [email protected].