WVA and APSU to host Education Summit for Women Veterans March 26
On Saturday, March 26, the Women Veterans of America (WVA) and Austin Peay State University will celebrate local “SHEroes” during the inaugural Education Summit for All Women Veterans, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at APSU’s Newton Family Resource Center, 426 College St.
The event, also known as the “APSU Pathway for SHEroes,” is the brainchild of Yolonda Williams, a U.S. Army veteran, APSU alumna and national commander of the WVA.
“We have a huge number of women veterans in Montgomery County,” she said. “The last census found there were over 6,600 women veterans that are here. Through my organization, I’ve heard they want to know more about school, about the educational opportunities and the benefits that are applicable to them.”
Williams decided to partner with APSU’s Newton Military Family Resource Center, the largest military student center in Tennessee, to show them the opportunities and benefits they’ll receive from APSU. The center provides the University’s military community with a one-stop-shop for most of their social, financial and academic needs by housing Austin Peay’s Veterans Upward Bound program, VetSuccess on Campus, the Military Student Center, a Career Services coordinator and a Student Success coordinator.
“As someone who went to Austin Peay post-retirement, I found a lot of valuable resources,” Williams said. “And I thought, it’d be great if we could display that, give women veterans an educational perspective of what Austin Peay has to offer.”
The informational event is free and open to all women veterans. Attendees will be able to network with each other, meet representatives from different APSU departments and learn more about veteran services and opportunities on campus and in Montgomery County.
“During the event they can also tour the Newton Center and see, if they decide to come to Austin Peay, that this beautiful space is for them to use,” Jasmin Linares, director of the APSU Military Student Center, said. “And women with children are welcome, they’re welcome to come with their family. We’ll have something for kids – a kid’s corner area.”
The event begins at 10 a.m., but at noon, all female veteran attendees will be invited to meet at the nearby APSU mural for a group photo.
“We want a photo of all the women veterans who are here at this time,” Linares said.
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