Members from West Virginia University at Parkersburg’s student Veterans Corps recently traveled to New York City for the Student Veterans of America (SVA) Leadership Summit. Students Peshka Calloway and Justin Williamson attended the event July 16 and 17 to gain strategic planning skills for their local SVA chapter.
As part of the event, SVA chapter leaders from across the region gathered at Google’s New York offices to explore campus-level concepts to ease a veteran’s transition from the military to higher education and then to the workforce. Calloway and Williamson presented their business plan for WVU Parkersburg’s SVA chapter to Google executives Nick Lozano and Lyle Einstein.
“They were really excited about what we included in our business plan and are curious to see how successful our events will be,” said Calloway. “Our main priorities include providing an avenue of success through camaraderie, community and communication.”
During the conference, Einstein spoke to attendees about his path from military service to college and then on to Google. In addition, members of the Google Veterans Network spoke about professional and career development and how their military experience applies to their everyday work.
Judges of the business plan competition provided advice to improve each chapter’s plan. The leadership summit provided WVU Parkersburg’s SVA chapter the unique opportunity to work with a mentor from Google to draft, develop and refine its business plan.
“We hope to achieve a better way to provide for our student veterans,” said Williamson, newly elected WVU Parkersburg Veterans Corps president for 2015-2016. “While presenting to Google and SVA, we got positive feedback which ensures me that we are on the right path.”
In June, WVU Parkersburg’s Veterans Corps donated $500 to American Legion Post 15 to assist after a break in at the American Legion in April. The money was used to help pay for employee uniforms and other services for the American Legion. In return, American Legion Riders Post 15 helped fund the expenses for the students’ attendance at the SVA Leadership Summit.
