SVA_Logo
Student Veterans of America®  |  News
SVA_Logo
About Us
Mission & Vision
History
Our Team
Work For SVA
Partners & Supporters
News
Financials
Contact Us
Chapters
Find A Chapter
Establish A Chapter
Chapter Guide
Introduction
Chapter Onboarding
Chapter Officers
Chapter Operations
Chapter Relationships
Chapter Programming
Chapter Communications
Chapter Marketing & Branding
Chapter Development
Chapter Resources
Update Chapter Contact Info
Alumni
Programs & Events
National Conference
Washington Week
Regional Summits
Visibility Exchange
The Leadership Institute
Scholarships
SVA Liaisons
Career Services Liaisons
Disability Services Liaisons
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Liaisons
Policy Liaisons
Honors Awards
Volunteer Service
VFW-SVA Legislative Fellowship
Research
Featured Projects & Publications
Life Cycle Atlas
Veteran Opinion Survey
Financial Health Survey
Basic Needs Survey
SVA Census
NVEST
Million Records Project
Government Affairs
Campus Advocacy
Policy Suggestion Portal
Natural Disaster Map
In-State Tuition Map
Resident Tuition Overview
Success Hub
Advising Center
Career Center
Partner Directory
Resource Center
Student Resources
Give
Donate
SVA Store
Partner with SVA
SVA Ambassadors
Combined Federal Campaign (CFC)
Participate in Research
MySVA Login
← Return to News

2021 Student Veterans of America Honors Award Recipients

Events
02/22/2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 22, 2021) – Student Veterans of America (SVA) announced its 2020 SVA Honors recipients at its 13th Annual National Conference during the SVA Honors Gala on Feb. 20th.

Partners in Excellence

This award recognizes those who contribute tirelessly outside of their everyday workload and organizational focus, to lift up the mission and members of Student Veterans of America. The successes of SVA would not be possible without these visionary and dedicated teams who prioritize the wellbeing and opportunities of student veterans across the globe.

  • Barclays
  • The Boeing Company
  • Google
  • Microsoft
  • Team Rubicon
  • Wells Fargo

 

Daniel J. Edelman Corporate Champion of the Year: Comcast NBCUniversal

Comcast NBCUniversal has been a proud supporter of the mission of SVA for more than 8 years, they have provided over $150,000 dollars in scholarships which we distribute through our NBCUniversal-SVA scholarship program. Comcast’s commitment to hiring veterans has resulted over 21,000 veterans beginning their careers with Comcast and became a founding member of Hiring our Heroes’ program to hire 100,000 military spouses campaign.

 

Dwight D. Eisenhower Distinguished Public Service Award: Kayla Williams, Senior Advisor, Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs, VA

Kayla has a long history of government service dedicated to fostering inclusive, equitable services and benefits at the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Her tireless commitment to being a voice for all veterans is ensuring we are building a VA reflective of the diversity and strength of our modern military force. Kayla is also a former student veteran and served as a 2020 SVA Leadership Institute Mentor.

 

Sonny Montgomery Student Veteran Champion Award: Senator Jerry Moran & Senator Jon Tester

In the immediate wake of COVID-19 response nearly a year ago, hundreds of thousands of student veterans were left unsure of the security of their GI Bill tuition and housing payments as schools suddenly and unexpectedly converted to online learning. In the months that followed, new challenges unique to GI Bill students in the COVID-19 response emerged. Each time, Senators Tester and Moran, and their staff, did not hesitate to act swiftly to ensure as many concerns as possible were addressed. Congratulations to Senators Tester and Moran.

 

William Pearson Tolley Champion for Veterans in Higher Education: Dr. Philomena V. Mantella, President of Grand Valley State University

Dr. Mantella was awarded for her tireless work on behalf of student veterans and military-affiliated students, including a first-of-its-kind commitment to guarantee admission to Michigan high school graduates who choose to put their education on hold to first serve their country called the Grand Valley State University Veteran Promise.

 

Advisor of the Year: Ted Barco, University of Georgia

Charles “Ted” Barco exemplifies the theme of “Leading Forward Together” through his passion of grooming leaders. Multiple members of the leadership of the chapter at UGA reached out to Mr. Barco after gaining acceptance to UGA and were immediately brought into the program with open arms. Chapter leaders personally feel their development and growth of being a leader on campus can be attributed to his countless, indefatigable hours of coaching and mentorship. Mr. Barco has dedicated his time to pushing the next generation of veterans and the SVA leadership team, with his ultimate goal being for them to have successful academic and professional careers. He fosters leadership by providing the tools necessary for individual and organizational growth, to include facilitating financial stability by garnering a plethora of corporate, community, and university partnerships that have provided millions of dollars in scholarships and grants. These partnerships, borne by his efforts, have also led to a multitude of professional networking events. Even after Mr. Barco retires from his service as Chapter Advisor, his legacy of leading forward will be maintained within each of us that he personally shaped.

Finalists:

  • Alex Bustin, Princeton University
  • Dr. Abbie Frost, Simmons University
  • Dr. Jeff Lovelace, University of Virginia
  • Bonita Jenkins, Augusta Technical College

 

Chapter of the Year: Clemson Student Veterans Association at Clemson University

Clemson Student Veterans Association at Clemson University (Matthew Morris, President) was founded in 2008. Over the course of the COVID 19 pandemic, the chapter experienced a large leadership transition. The team took on the challenge without hesitation and hit the ground running. Even with the limited amount of programming the chapter has been able to safely carry out, they have held very valuable events. The leadership team works closely with the campus career services office to promote and organize virtual career fairs and professional development courses. Additionally, they partner with other veteran organizations in the community to conduct valuable functions. Because of the unbridled success of the chapter, the chapter president was awarded Clemson University’s Outstanding Student Veteran Award for Fall 2020. Since then, the chapter has been able to hold a successful Military Appreciation Day Football game, where 85 tickets were donated in order for student veterans to attend the game at no cost. At the same game, numerous veterans and ROTC cadets were honored for their prior and future service. The chapter also partnered with their rival school to host a virtual Veteran’s Day 5k and held a Q&A with the director of the film “Outpost”. In the next coming weeks, the chapter will do the same for their Military Appreciation Day Basketball and Baseball games as well. While the pandemic and lockdown has caused the chapter to change many of its plans as far as in person events are concerned, the Clemson Student Veterans Association has stayed strong as an SVA chapter and continued to engage the student veterans at Clemson University.

Finalists:

  • California State University, Northridge
  • Lakeland Community College
  • Syracuse University
  • University of Washington Tacoma

 

Student Veteran of the Year: Andrew Ho, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Andrew Ho (University of Nevada, Las Vegas) is a first-generation college student veteran. In 2010, he joined the United States Air Force, and proudly served as a cook for the majority of his military career, which helped him develop leadership qualities that he hopes to carry to the healthcare profession. Throughout his career, he gained experience and confidence that would shape his decision to pursue a degree in occupational therapy. After serving 7 years, Andrew separated from the armed forces, and made the decision to continue his education at UNLV. Initially, he developed imposter syndrome. He discovered that other student veterans also struggled with imposter syndrome, and so strives to engage with student veterans and families through the PAVE team and Rebel Vets chapter of SVA. Since 2018, he also served as a “Big” with the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Andrew’s military experience, campus involvement, and community service helped him enjoy his academic environment. He aspires to become an occupational therapist with a special interest in helping veterans and hopes to inspire other veterans to pursue higher education.

Finalists:

  • Emma Cassidy, Fordham University
  • Erika Lee, University of Maryland Global Campus
  • Kenneth Mack, Augusta Technical College
  • Manuel Matias, University of Arizona
  • Hudson Miller, Harvard University
  • Jessica Payne, Southern New Hampshire University
  • Ann Stalcup, Our Lady of the Lake University
  • Savanna Turner, University of Florida
  • Cameron Zbikowski, Grand Valley State University

 

About Student Veterans of America
With a focused mission on empowering student veterans, Student Veterans of America® (SVA) is committed to providing an educational experience that goes beyond the classroom. Through a dedicated network of nearly 1,600 on-campus chapters in all 50 states and 4 countries representing more than 750,000 student veterans, SVA aims to inspire yesterday’s warriors by connecting student veterans with a community of like-minded chapter leaders. Every day these passionate leaders work to provide the necessary resources, network support, and advocacy to ensure student veterans can effectively connect, expand their skills, and ultimately achieve their greatest potential. For more information, visit us at www.studentveterans.org.

Honoring the Service of Student Veterans During Veterans Month

Student Veteran Robert Pryor’s Journey as a Dominion Energy Intern

Student Veterans of America's 2024 Leadership Institute

Student Veterans of America Receives Greater Texas Foundation Grant

Student Veterans of America Staff Seize the Summer

Student Veterans of America and RTX Announce 2024 RTX Patriot Scholarship Recipients

Student Veterans of America and RTX Announce 2024 RTX SPY-6 Scholarship Recipients

Partners, Press

Student Veterans of America and Google Announce 2024 Scholarship Recipients

Newsletter

Student Veterans of America Summer 2024 Newsletter

Veteran and Military Family Groups Condemn Political Violence in Joint Statement

Student Veterans of America Launches Advising Center

Student Veterans of America's Memorial Day Acts of Service

Student Veterans of America and John Edelman Announce 2024 Scholarship Recipients

Student Veterans Win Big Across University Campuses

Jared Lyon Named to the George W. Bush Institute Advisory Council

FourBlock Veteran Career Readiness Program

Newsletter

Student Veterans of America Spring 2024 Newsletter

Supreme Court ruling in Rudisill v. McDonough

Library of Congress Hosts a Vets Town Hall

Oregon Tech Visits Washington, D.C.

Chapman University visits Washington, D.C.

Newsletter

Student Veterans of America Witner 2024 Newsletter

SVA Presents the Sonny Montgomery Student Veteran Champion and the Dwight D. Eisenhower Distinguished Public Service Awards

Washington Week 2024

Rep. Levin, Ranking Member Takano Introduce Bipartisan Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act

U.S Department of Veterans Affairs is Transitioning to Single Payment Bank Accounts

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Hosts Special Screening of Masters of the Air

SVA and WWP Living Works START course

SVA Announces New Outreach Coordinators

GWVets Visit the Department of State

How does a Government Shutdown Impact VA Education Benefits?

Introducing Student Veterans of America’s National Academic Advising Center

Student Veterans of America Announces 2023 Honors Awards Recipients

MLK Day of Service 2024

Events

Watch the 2024 State of Student Veterans of America

SVA Announces 2023 Honors Awards Finalists

Navigating Veterans Benefits: Your Guide to the Veterans Claims Clinic at NatCon 2024

NatCon 2024: Service Project, safeTalk Training, Morning Workouts, & more!

Newsletter

Student Veterans of America Fall 2023 Newsletter

Join the Mission: Empower Student Veterans on GivingTuesday

Student Veterans of America Celebrates Veterans Month

SVA Chapter Activities During Veterans Month

Student Veterans of America is Recipient of $1 million Donation from The Walt Disney Company

Student Veterans of America 2023 Leadership Institute Professional Development Event

Student Veterans of America Annual Census Survey 2023

What does a Government Shutdown Mean for VA Education Benefits?

What to Know as Federal Student Loan Repayments Resume this Fall

Student Veterans of America and Boeing Host 2023 Regional Summit Conference

Blog

Want to Use VA Education Benefits Overseas? Plan First. Then Enroll.

Newsletter

Student Veterans of America Summer 2023 Newsletter

Partners, Press

Student Veterans of America and Comcast NBCUniversal Announce 2023 Scholarship Recipients

Partners, Press

Student Veterans of America and John Edelman Announce 2023 Scholarship Recipients

Partners, Press

Student Veterans of America and Raytheon Technologies Announce 2023 Scholarship Recipients

Partners, Press

Student Veterans of America and Google Announce 2023 Scholarship Recipients

Advocacy

SVA Applauds Introduction of Legislation to Expand Readmission Protections for students in the National Guard and Reserve

Events

Student Veterans of America Commemorates Memorial Day with Acts of Service

Advocacy

Student Veterans of America Celebrates Introduction of VA Work-Study Legislation

Press

Student Veterans of America Update on Post 9/11 GI Bill MHA Delayed Payment for March 2023

Advocacy

Student Veterans of America testifies before the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans'

Partners

Student Veterans of America Provides FourBlock Veteran Career Readiness Program Marketing Toolkit

Newsletter

Student Veterans of America Spring 2023 Newsletter

Advocacy

Student Veterans of America Testifies Before the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity

Advocacy

Tester, Boozman Bipartisan Bill Requires VA to Take a More Comprehensive Look at Veteran Suicide

Partners

Student Veterans of America Announces Formal Partnership with FourBlock 

Advocacy

Student Veterans of America Celebrates Major End-of-Year Policy Victories

Partners

Student Veterans of America 2023 NatCon Sponsor and Partner Recognition

Watch the 2023 State of Student Veterans of America

Newsletter

Student Veterans of America Winter 2022 Newsletter

Advocacy

VA Delays New Enrollment Manager System to Reduce Impact on Student Veterans

Newsletter

Student Veterans of America Fall 2022 Newsletter

Advocacy

Federal Government Announces New Actions on Student Loan Debt

Advocacy

Student Veterans of America PACT Act Status Update

Advocacy

Student Veterans of America Presents Testimony on Pending Legislation Before the HVAC EO

Press

Raytheon Missiles & Defense and Student Veterans of America Announce 2022 Patriot Scholarship Recipients

Advocacy

ED to Accept DD-214s in Certifying Military Service for Public Student Loan Forgiveness

Press

Student Veterans of America Receives $8 Million Grant from MacKenzie Scott

Press

Student Veterans of America Names Three Board Members, Including Current Student and Recent Graduate

Events

Watch the 2022 State of Student Veterans of America

Events

Student Veterans of America 2022 NatCon Honors Award Recipients

Events

Student Veterans of America Awards Inaugural Senator Bob Dole Continued Service Award to Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation

Events

Media Advisory: Student Veterans of America (SVA) 2022 National Conference

Advocacy

COVID-19 Protections Extended and Rounding Out Restored

Events

Student Veterans of America Honors: Meet our Finalists

Advocacy

COVID-19 Benefit Protections and Rounding Out: Updates for Student Veterans

Press

Student Veterans of America NatCon 2022: Registration is Open!

Advocacy

What the New PSLF Changes Mean for Service Members and Veterans 

Press

Student Veterans of America Joins MTV Entertainment’s Mental Health Youth Action Forum

Press

Rutgers CMSI and Student Veterans of America Partner to Support Student Veterans at MSIs

Partners

Student Veterans of America Alumni Participates in Foreign Affairs Information Technology (FAIT) Fellowship

Press

Student Veterans of America Joins Welcome.US

Partners

Comcast NBCUniversal and Student Veterans of America Announce 2021 Scholarship Recipients

Press

Student Veterans of America Applications Open for 2022 VFW, SVA Legislative Fellowship

Blog

Current Events in Afghanistan: What can Chapter Leaders do to Help?  

Blog

Student Veterans of America Message to Our Community in Response to Current Events in Afghanistan

Advocacy

VHA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) Listening Sessions for Veterans

Advocacy

Appropriations Brief: Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Education  

Advocacy

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

Press

Student Veterans of America Announces 2021 Google Scholarship Recipients

Blog

Meet the Student Veterans of America Programs & Services Team

Advocacy

Court: Veterans with Multiple Periods of Service Entitled to Additional GI Bill Benefits

Events

Stay Engaged this Summer with Student Veterans of America Chapter Events

Advocacy

Refresh of Higher Education Regulations Announced

Press

Student Veterans of America Names Two New Board Members

Advocacy

What Revitalizing America’s Infrastructure Could Mean for Student Veterans 

Press

Raytheon Missiles & Defense and Student Veterans of America Announce 2021 SPY-6 Scholarship Recipients

Advocacy

House Approves Several Student Veterans of America Policy Priorities

Partners

Veteran Wellness Alliance Offers Trusted Care Through Check-In

Press

Student Veterans of America Joins First National Mental Health Action Day

Events

Student Veterans of America Joins Vietnam War Commemorative Partners

Advocacy

Top Ten Takeaways: The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021

Events

Watch the 2021 State of Student Veterans of America

Events

2021 Student Veterans of America Honors Award Recipients

Events

The 2021 Student Veterans of America Honors Gala: Meet our Finalists

Blog, COVID-19

COVID-19 FAQs

Advocacy

What the CARES Act Means for Student Veterans, Service Members, and their Families

Events

Join Student Veterans of America for the National Day of Service

Advocacy, COVID-19

Final Bills of the 116th Congress

Advocacy, COVID-19

Major Veteran Legislation Clears Congress

Press

Student Veterans of America Statement on VA Office of Inspector General Report

Events

Student Veterans of America NatCon Returns: February 19-20

Events

GVSU Announces Veteran Promise

Events

Student Veterans of America Debuts Public Service Announcement

Events

SVA President Jared Lyon Delivers Veterans Day Remarks

Events

How to Stream Veterans Day Events

Advocacy

#VOTE Like a Veteran

Events

Raytheon Missiles & Defense and Student Veterans of America Announce 2020 Patriot Scholarship Recipients

Events

Jared Lyon Named 2020 NYC Veterans Day Grand Marshal

Advocacy

Volunteer to Power The Polls

Advocacy, COVID-19

Pandemic Assistance for Student Veterans Act Introduced

Events

Veterans Day on Your Campus: Virtual Event Ideas

Events

Student Veterans of America Leadership Institute Applications Open

Advocacy

Moving Beyond Patchwork Systems: The Future of Education Services IT

Events

Student Veterans of America Regional Summit Starts on September 26th

Advocacy

Legislative Updates: Fall 2020

Research

Survey Finds 96% of Student Veterans Will Vote

Partners

Apply for the Raytheon Patriot Scholarship

Partners

Resources for Student Veterans During COVID-19

Events

Watch Home with the Brave: A Graduation Salute

SVA

655 15th Street NW, Suite 320
Washington, D.C. 20005
Telephone: (202) 223-4710

About Us Contact Donate
Programs & Events Research Government Affairs
Chapters Success Hub News
Financials Privacy Policy Terms of Use
© 2024 Student Veterans of America® is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Publicity Statement: SVA hosts and attends many events and gatherings throughout the year. As part of SVA’s ongoing communication about these activities, photos and/or videos from those events may be posted on SVA’s website and/or social media pages. It is possible that an individual may appear in these photos and/or videos. Please contact SVA if you would like to have your picture or video removed. Upon receipt of this notification, SVA will remove the image as soon as viable.