#vfwdc2016

[studentveterans-blog]

VFW-SVA Legislative Fellows Success Stories: Rob Janice

On February 27th, I took a flight to Washington, D.C. a day before the annual VFW Legislative Conference was set to begin. The plan was to spend the day with my older sister in nearby Alexandria, to have a relaxing day before what was sure to be a whirlwind event beginning on Sunday evening. I had an idea that the experience of being a VFW-SVA Legislative Fellow would be memorable, but had little idea of what exactly I was getting myself into.

Over the course of the past couple of months, I was narrowing down my research topic into what was ultimately a focus on the current STEM Extension Bill, or H.R. 748. I went to Washington with the idea that veterans in STEM majors need additional help to finish their degree track under G.I. Bill benefits, and was hoping to spread that word to members of Congress. What I failed to realize was that the ideas of the other nine fellows would blend beautifully with mine, and as much as I was pitching my thoughts and ideas, I was pitching theirs. From credit accreditation to priority registration, there was a number of ideas that worked toward the same goal as mine: higher graduation rates for veterans.  

I was able to secure a co-sponsor of the bill that I was pushing from Rep. Ruben Gallego from Arizona’s seventh district, and met with the office of Rep. David McKinley, who sponsored the original bill. Through those meetings and an array of others, this fellowship taught me many lessons, but one lesson stands out above the rest. When veterans come together with passion and knowledge, storming the hill with a common purpose, there is little that can stop them from achieving their goals.  - Rob Janice, 2016 VFW-SVA Fellow

We at SVA are incredibly proud of Rob Janice for his work on the STEM Bill. H.R. 748 is currently slated for a hearing in the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee in mid-April. Having more supporters sign onto the bill helps show that there is a growing need for an extra year of G.I. Bill benefits for those attaining STEM degrees. In addition, having a Congressman sign on to a bill proposed by an VFW-SVA Fellow shows the power that individuals have when given the chance to speak with their local representatives. It is our goal through the VFW-SVA Legislative Fellowship to continue addressing issues that student veterans face every day, and give them the power to meet with their respective representatives to push for better legislative Bills in regards to student veteran issues.

Having Rep. Ruben Gallego sign onto H.R. 748 after meeting with Rob Janice, is one step forward in the direction of extending the G.I. Bill for STEM majors and is an amazing win for Rob Janice, the SVA-VFW Legislative Fellowship and most of all, student veterans. We thank Mr. Janice and Rep. Ruben Gallego for their hard work and dedication to veterans.  - Derek Fronabarger, Director of Policy, SVA

[studentveterans-blog]

Three key takeaways from the 2016 VFW-SVA Fellowship

By Deanna Parker, 2016 VFW-SVA Legislative Fellow

Condensing my fellowship experience into one short post does not seem to do it justice. The amount of information I gained from my experience in D.C. will be with me for a lifetime. My expectations for the week were to listen and observe, network and gain more information to put my Community Action Plan into practice. However, these expectations were blown out of the water on my first day! So, how can I share the wealth of knowledge I received into one post? Here are 3 of the major things I want to take back to my fellow veterans.

1. The VFW is not a “boys club” of old salty veterans who just want to get together to smoke and drink. It is a proactive organization that has fought for every right we have received as veterans. They have had their fingerprints on every piece of veterans’ legislation since their existence, and I was able to witness firsthand their advocacy on the hill. It was a great reminder that the only reason I have the benefits that I do is because of organizations such as the VFW. They want the younger generation of veterans to know what they are doing and to join their ranks. They need us!

 2. Less then 3 percent of veterans work on the hill and women veterans make up an even smaller fraction. Although it was encouraging to see so many men advocating for women veteran rights within the VA healthcare system, there need to be more women. Women are rapidly increasing their ranks in the military and are now proud to identify themselves as veterans! Now more than ever, more of us need to educate and advocate for each other. I was proud to enter each and every Congressional office as a woman veteran.

 3. I can make a difference. I know it sounds cliché, but it’s true! The ten Fellows proved that one person can make a difference. We each simply saw a problem and researched solutions, and now we are putting our words into actions throughout the rest of the semester, some of which will result in actual changes in veteran legislation!

My experience as a VFW-SVA Legislative Fellow isn’t finished….it is just beginning!

To learn more about the VFW-SVA Fellowship, click here.

[studentveterans-blog]

Student veterans make voices heard on Capitol Hill

By Derek Fronabarger, Director of Policy, Student Veterans of America

With over 900,000 student veterans enrolled in institutions of higher education and over $55B spent on the Post 9/11 GI Bill, a growing number of young veterans are attending universities after separation from the military. With that growth, comes an increased need to better support and inform servicemembers, veterans, and their family members who are attending college. 

For the second year in a row, Student Veterans of America (SVA) has partnered with the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) to provide 10 student veterans the opportunity to make their voices heard on Capitol Hill and in their community.  

The SVA-VFW Legislative Fellowship attracts former military personnel that are currently enrolled in a higher education institution with an SVA chapter and eligible for VFW membership. Following a competitive application and selection process, Fellows come to Washington, D.C. where they participate in the VFW National Legislative Conference, walk the halls of congress, and meet with lawmakers to discuss the issues that impact veterans and their dependents in higher education and their families broadly.  

This year, Fellows had the chance to meet with the White House Office of Engagement and the Joining Forces team. The Joining Forces Initiative aims to work hand-in-hand with the public and private sectors to ensure service members, veterans, and their families have the tools they need to succeed. Programs have ranged from nation-wide efforts like the Mayors Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness to the Campaign to Change Direction which raises awareness around mental health.

I recently joined SVA as the Director of Policy. During my time working with our student veterans, and having been one myself, I have found that it is not only important for lawmakers to understand the needs of all veterans, but it is also imperative that veterans understand and take an active role in our legislative process and understand how our government works in order to broaden their influence as constituents. 

That is why this opportunity for our Fellows to meet with White House officials is particularly special. During this meeting, Fellows had a chance to share their stories, discuss how they can accelerate and enhance student veterans’ success and improve upon existing legislation. 

In addition to meeting with White House officials, Fellows also had the opportunity to meet with legislators from their state, attend the VFW Legislative Presentation to the House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committees and attend the VFW Legislative Reception. Congressman Jeff Miller, Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, was honored with the VFW Congressional Award at the reception. In the coming weeks they will be sharing their stories with us, right here on our blog, and recapping what they were able to accomplish.

Our military veterans are important to national economic empowerment and are future leaders in business and industry, government, public service, and their communities. We believe this fellowship program will be the catalyst for a broader dialogue on how we can work together to ensure that veterans who are pursuing higher education have a voice on Capitol Hill, and that it provides opportunities to develop America’s future leaders and champions of change. Check out what people are saying about #SVAVFWFellows16 on our Storify page.