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Veterans at Sweet Briar College

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Women veterans and <strong>Sweet</strong> <strong>Briar</strong> <strong>College</strong>:<br />

An Interview with Melanie Campbell ’06<br />

Melanie Campbell ’06 works in the <strong>College</strong>’s<br />

Admissions Office and knows first hand the benefits of<br />

a <strong>Sweet</strong> <strong>Briar</strong> educ<strong>at</strong>ion for veterans.<br />

Enrollment of U.S. military veterans in colleges and<br />

universities around the country has been substantially<br />

increasing in recent years, and experts predict th<strong>at</strong><br />

trend will continue.<br />

Melanie Campbell ’06 is <strong>Sweet</strong> <strong>Briar</strong>’s director of<br />

admissions oper<strong>at</strong>ions and a 23-year veteran of the<br />

U.S. Air Force. Campbell well understands wh<strong>at</strong> this<br />

college has to offer women veterans who want to<br />

pursue higher educ<strong>at</strong>ion.<br />

Campbell explains th<strong>at</strong> women veterans are used to<br />

living and working in an inclusive community whose<br />

members have a strong commitment to shared values<br />

and shared goals, a community where both leadership<br />

and teamwork are high priorities. Such an environment<br />

can be hard to come by in the civilian workplace and in<br />

larger institutions.<br />

Inclusivity, collabor<strong>at</strong>ive learning, teamwork and<br />

respect for differences are shared values in and outside<br />

the classroom <strong>at</strong> <strong>Sweet</strong> <strong>Briar</strong>. These values should<br />

make the transition to academic life easier for veterans<br />

in particular because they come from an environment<br />

where a sense of solidarity is essential to successful<br />

missions and even, in some situ<strong>at</strong>ions, to individual<br />

and group survival.<br />

Campbell points out th<strong>at</strong> places like <strong>Sweet</strong> <strong>Briar</strong> are<br />

especially valuable for women who have served in<br />

the military in Iraq and Afghanistan. After serving in<br />

a war zone, veterans need to know th<strong>at</strong> they are in<br />

a safe place. The small size of the <strong>College</strong>, caring<br />

professors, an extensive support network available to<br />

students, and the beauty of the campus and its n<strong>at</strong>ural<br />

surroundings all foster a sense of security and wellbeing.<br />

“It is a place where you can ask questions and start<br />

discussions without being judged,” she observes.<br />

“<strong>Sweet</strong> <strong>Briar</strong> gives you the opportunity to try many<br />

different areas of interest before deciding on a major,<br />

prepares you for public speaking and writing as well as<br />

giving you a global perspective.”<br />

<strong>Sweet</strong> <strong>Briar</strong> is also a good fit for women veterans in<br />

th<strong>at</strong> they are used to being held to high standards<br />

and are expected to be strong and confident and not<br />

to conform readily to traditional gender stereotypes.<br />

These qualities are also true of <strong>Sweet</strong> <strong>Briar</strong> women.<br />

Campbell believes not only th<strong>at</strong> women veterans<br />

will appreci<strong>at</strong>e <strong>Sweet</strong> <strong>Briar</strong>, but th<strong>at</strong> they will be<br />

appreci<strong>at</strong>ed in turn. After all, who wouldn’t welcome<br />

more students and colleagues who know how to learn,<br />

how to face complic<strong>at</strong>ed questions and situ<strong>at</strong>ions, how<br />

to accomplish difficult, long-term goals through hard<br />

work and perseverance, how to be both a valuable<br />

leader and team player? These strengths women<br />

veterans commonly possess. They are women of<br />

consequence and role models for other young women<br />

to emul<strong>at</strong>e.<br />

<strong>Sweet</strong> <strong>Briar</strong> <strong>College</strong> honors the Yellow Ribbon<br />

Program and works with the veterans affairs office to<br />

ensure educ<strong>at</strong>ional benefits are utilized and managed<br />

properly.

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