Student produces event to honor veterans
Samantha Santiago ’16 wants to help the Connecticut College community celebrate America's veterans, so she has planned “Thanking Our Troops,” a campus Veterans Day event, on Tuesday, Nov. 11, from 3-5 p.m. on the patio in front of the College Center at Crozier-Williams.
The event will allow students, staff and faculty to honor those who have served and record a special video message that Santiago hopes to share with the USO and Veterans Administration.
“I want the campus community to really consider the sacrifices made every day and what it means for their lives today,” Santiago said. “I want to go past the standard ‘Thank you for your service.’”
Santiago, a psychology major and dance minor, is a specialist in the Army Reserves, serving with the 344th MP Company in Middletown, and she is the only active military personnel among current Connecticut College undergraduates. The challenging nature of her monthly duties led her to realize that many people don’t know what serving in the military entails.
“I am quite proud to call myself an active member in the military and am saddened by the lack of veteran awareness,” she said. “I hope this event will bring awareness to campus as well as benefit veterans and build connections with the community.”
Santiago’s efforts at awareness will extend into next week when local veterans will speak to students on campus at her invitation.
November 10, 2014
