Martha McSally speaking at SVA
Cochise College celebrated the first gathering of the Student Veterans of America club (SVA) at the Sierra Vista campus last week. Veterans from all around Cochise County gathered in an act of support for each other and for the community.
Student Veterans of America is a nationally recognized organization that has support from several major corporations that aid in scholarships and other leadership opportunities.
The Cochise College Student Veterans of America chapter was created to serve the 375 student veterans attending Cochise College. SVA is organized by students and hopes to promote an atmosphere that will aid veterans to reintegrate into campus life and succeed academically.
Christin DeSoto, Cochise College SVA club founder, spent five years in active duty with the Army. She now attends Cochise College in the pursuit of a Nursing degree. In her time here at Cochise College, she decided to make a difference and help fellow veterans at the College.
DeSoto said, “Transitioning from being in the military to a civilian life can sometimes be difficult. With the rising number of suicides, it was important to ensure that veterans know that they are not alone. Most of the meetings are simply a way to relax and be with other veterans that know and understand what they are going through.”
J.D. Rottweiler, president of Cochise College, and Rick Mueller, mayor of Sierra Vista, attended SVA to help show their support to local veterans.
Alongside them, Congresswoman Martha McSally spoke to help commemorate the event.
She declared, “If we are going to keep the covenant that we have towards our veterans, we are going to fight for you… We’ve got to work together; this is a covenant of us being on one team and making sure we can support our veterans.”
SVA is hosting many more events in the months to come for student veterans. In the future, SVA wants to contribute to the community with volunteer work and reach as many student veterans as possible to ensure that they are getting the support that they need. The next meeting is at the Sierra Vista Cochise College Campus on March 3 at 1 p.m. For more information, contact Carla Boyd at boydcarla@cochise.edu.