Salutes to Sic’Ems

Marching forward

“Only a life lived in the service to oth-ers is worth living,” said Albert Einstein and serving people is what veterans of the American armed forces have com-mitted their lives to. Willing to sacrifice their lives in the line of duty, men and women of the armed forces are willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice so the peo-ple of America are free to follow their own pursuits such as obtaining a college education. At Baylor University serving people is what the Veteran Education-al and Transition Services, or V.E.T.S, does.

Founded in the fall of 2012 by se-nior lecturer in Ed-ucational Psychology Dr. Janet Bagby, V.E.T.S was created as an academic support program for student veterans attending Baylor University. A support program built to help veterans transi-tion into college life at Baylor, V.E.T.S offers transition coaching, new student experience courses, mentors, and career development.

Building the program from the ground up, Dr. Bagby has led from the

front as the coordinator since the pro-gram’s inception in 2012. But with being a full time employee at Baylor University, Dr. Bagby has only been able to help in a part-time capacity.

As the program has grown, Baylor University is now seeking a full-time pro-gram manager, for V.E.T.S, whose sole purpose will be to serve the student vet-erans attending Baylor.

“I am totally and completely thrilled that the university is creating a new po-sition and a full-time position,” was Dr. Bagby’s response when asked about her view on the new hire.

“It’s a way of institutionalizing and I think we can see the services and sup-port really exponentially increase,” are some of the hopes that Dr. Bagby has of the V.E.T.S support program with the addition of the addition of the new pro-gram manager.

Janet Bagby

Veterans of Baylor

She will have it all: Baylor veteran balances mother-hood and work, while maintaing an above average GPA. Page 2

Baylor Veterans run the line at Mclane Stadium with Baylor President Ken Starr and Bruiser on Nov. 14 at the blackout football game against The University of Oklahoma.

With an Army veteran husband and an active duty Marine Corps son, Dr. Bagby understands the importance of helping student veterans receive services that help them integrate into a college lifestyle easier.

“Obviously I have ownership; I have a passion but I think I have done what I need to do to lay the foundation.” Hop-ing for her successor to build upon this foundation, Dr. Bagby will continue to serve veterans as the faculty advisor for the student organization Veterans of Baylor along with helping overseeing the transition of leadership to the new V.E.T.S program manager.

Even if it is just providing services that help veterans adjust to college life as a starting point, hopefully Baylor Uni-versity can start to pay back the veterans for their service with organizations like V.E.T.S.

Spring 2016

Photo courtesy of Amanda Hinshaw

Taking the road less traveled: Bay-lor student talks life in the Marines and transitioning into college life. Page 3

T h e C h a l l e n g e Coin: To those who make us stronger by pushing us beyond our limits and sup-port us in achieving our goals. Page 4

Volume 1 No.1

VETS will recieve a full-time coordinator By: Cole Haag

Always Treading Water

Christopher Strange

From the left, Katy Humphery hangs out at Common Grounds in Waco with her daughter Millie. Katy poses with her husband in her uniform before she left the Marines and came to Baylor. Millie being held by Ken Starr at the Baylor Baseball Military Appreciation Game on April 2.

Katy Humphrey is a South Dakota na-tive and has been a member of the Ma-rine Corps for 14 years. She has traveled and lived all over the world. In 2012, she lived in Afghanistan for 8 months and it was there that she found her true calling.

Humphrey lived on one of the largest bases. She was a Pashto linguist in the in-telligence field. However, the job she held there was very demanding and she want-ed a change.

“I wanted to do something that would help people directly. That’s why I wanted to switch careers,” Humphrey said.

On base she met a physical therapist that informed Humphrey of the US Ar-my-Baylor University Doctoral Program in Physical Therapy where Katy later ap-

plied and was accepted. Humphrey was welcomed with open arms by the interim coordinator of the Baylor Veterans pro-gram, Dr. Janet Bagby.

“I knew the mo-ment I met Katy that she would be success-ful in her academic pursuits and a leader on our campus,” Dr. Bagby said. “She per-sonifies the best qual-ities of our military

service members - strength of character, humility, maturity and perseverance.”

During her time at Baylor, Humphrey has juggled a 5-month-old daughter, a job and being a full-time student.

“Katy is unstoppable,” Baylor Veteran Christopher Strange said.

Humphrey said that she often gets the question of “How do you do it?” She says that she lives one day at a time.

“You tread water, Humphrey said. “You adapt and overcome and just keep going.”

Humphrey has had to bring her daughter, Millie to class several times and it has never been a problem. Her pro-fessors understand that she is balancing motherhood and fulfilling her calling and they are more than willing to help.

“Baylor is blessed to have Katy on our campus, and our Veterans of Baylor stu-dent organization has benefitted in many ways from her dedication and commit-ment.,” said Dr. Bagby.

The Baylor community is helping Humphrey follow her dreams, so she can help others in following theirs.

Photo by Christina Soto

Photo courtesy of Katy Humphery

Photo courtesy of Katy Humphery

2 Veterans of Baylor salutes to sic’ems Spring 2016

By: Christina Soto

Marine takes the road less traveled and attends college after serving

Veterans of Baylor 3salutes to sic’ems Spring 2016

Baylor Veterans throw a sic’em with former President George W. Bush at his ranch.

Robert Athey Jr. is one of “The Few and the Proud” to have joined the United States Marine Corps voluntarily and for reasons beyond himself. He is a sophomore from Augusta, Georgia, and joined the Marines after graduat-ing from high school, he understood attending college wasn’t the best fit for him at that time.

“I figured I needed to put my profes-sional career on hold and go become a better person so I could be well-round-ed and have these experiences because that’s something I will be able to carry with mefor the rest of my life,” Athey said.

Athey said that the most difficult part of transitioning into college was the cul-ture difference from the military life to the college life.

“I think that a common struggle with a lot of military guys is that they get out and expect people to tell them well this is the time they need to be somewhere,” Athey said. “You have a lot more freedom but you also have to have a lot more initiative.”

Athey explains that in some situ-ations coming to college after being under your parent’s roof is a lot like

transitioning from the military because in college freedom is thrust upon you.

“Being in college it is hard to manage social life with academics. I am appre-ciative of my mom now for keeping me in check but now I have to do it all on my own,” said soph-omore Kira Deaton.

Athey states that deciding what to do with that freedom is what distinguishes a successful transition from an unsuccess-ful one.

Senior lecturer of the journalism de-

partment Mr. Maxey Parrish states that the best way to transition into college is by getting involved.

“In college there are several organiza-tions you can join so get involved in those and then till will start to struc-ture your life so

you don’t put assignments off till tomor-row,” Parrish said.

Athey states whether you got to col-lege from high school or after the mili-tary both paths are similar because they’ve shaped us into who we are today.

salute Veterans National Honor Society

Luisa Villafranca was induct-ed into SALUTE. She was awarded the Bravo tier, which meant she earned a cumula-tive GPA of 3.50-3.74.

Robert Athey Jr. was induct-ed into SALUTE. He was awarded the Bravo tier, which meant he earned a cumula-tive GPA of 3.50-3.74.

Nicole Hellums was inducted SALUTE. She was awarded the Delta tier, which meant she earned a cumulative GPA of 3.00-3.24.

On Monday, April 18 Veterarns were inducted in Baylor’s first chapter of SALUTE-the Veterans National Honor Society.

Photo courtesy of Christopher Strange

Baylor-bound

“You have a lot more freedom but you also have to have a lot

more initiative.”

By: Cydney Marco

Christina Soto Co-editor

Cydney Marco Co-editor

Cole Haag Writer

Christopher StrangeContributor

Amanda HinshawContributor

Contact Veterans of Baylor

Baylor Veterans

4 Veterans of Baylor salutes to sic’ems Spring 2016

“If you have a professor that has gone above and be-yond you present it to them and then every fall they do a ceremony where they invite all the students and professors who have given out a coin. It’s a really neat thing to just kind of recognize professors that kind of stand out,” freshman Alex Loya said.

Q: Who gave you the Veteran’s coin?A: I received two, one from Edwin Da-vila and the other from Katy Humphrey.Q: What did it feel to receive it and how has it imapacted you?A: Incredibly honored and humbled once they told me about the background and significance of the coin.It has made me become even more aware of the var-ious needs, understanding, and support that my students typically needs, not just my veteran students, but all students, and that simply always being willing to be there to help, support, and understand their needs is paramount to their learn-ing.

“Last year, I was given my beauti-ful Baylor Veteran’s coin by Dolly El-liot-Hames-Hubbard.Participating in the ceremony, hearing the tradition behind the coins, being with such an honorable group of veteran students and receiving this honor was one of the highlights and most humbling experiences of my 30 ½ years of service at Baylor,” Lillian Roun-tree said.

Alex Loya

Veterans of Baylor Emails: vob@baylor0.onmicrosoft.comVETS@baylor.edu

Phone Number: (254) 710-7280

Contributors

Veterans give a coin to those individuals such as faculty, staff or students who go above and beyond for them.

Veteran Challenge Coin Dr. Darryn WilloughbyAssociate Professor & Director of Excercise

Biochemcial and Nutriton

Lillian RountreeStudent Relations Coordinator

Dolly Elliot-Hames-Hubbard presents a vet-eran coin to Linda Rountree at Veteran Coin Banquet on Dec. 2, 2015.