November 9, 2023
Dear SRJC Community,
As we celebrate Veterans Day on Saturday, I want to recognize the hard work, determination, and bravery of our student veterans and their pursuit of post-service higher education, as well as honor the past military service of our SRJC faculty, classified professionals, and administrators. Your service in protecting our freedoms and way of life deserves our collective thanks, not just on Veterans Day, but throughout the year.
I have several uncles who are veterans, including one who is an Honor Flight Veteran. Currently, my oldest great nephew is serving in the Marines, after being the first of my sister’s grandchildren to graduate from high school. His strong sense of justice and duty have led him to become part of a military team that makes me both proud and worried for him. He is committed to serving our country and then pursuing his college education as a first-generation college student. He will be the first in my sister’s family to attend college. I am hopeful for his future and proud of his purpose to serve his country.
As our student veterans make the transition to the next phase of their lives following their military careers, I am grateful to all of the members of our SRJC community who help them pursue their new mission of education. SRJC’s Veterans Success Center, led by Coordinator Farrel Dobbins, provides important assistance with academic planning, VA education benefits, student success advising, peer support, referrals to campus and community resources, and so much more. The Veterans Success Center is located in Plover Hall Room 516.
In addition to recognizing our veterans, I call on us to ask ourselves this question as we celebrate Veterans Day: How can we use our freedom to ensure all members of our communities have opportunities to transform their lives? More than anything else, our response to that question will determine how we make intergenerational change possible. I encourage you to pause this Saturday to consider how we can best apply the potential that comes with living in a free society and act to advance social justice and peace.
On behalf of the entire SRJC community, thank you to our veterans for their service and sacrifice.
In community,
Dr. Angélica Garcia, Ed.D.
Superintendent/President
707-527-4431, angelicagarcia@santarosa.edu
