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Every year on November 11 the nation celebrates the women and men who have served our county. At East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, Veterans Day is special a time to honor its 126 student veterans.

The Student Enrollment Center and the ESU Student Veterans Center have planned a Veterans Day Celebration on Thursday, November 10. The event begins at 2 p.m. in room 117 of Stroud Hall, featuring a keynote address by retired Sgt. Maj. Claudette Williams. After the program, attendees will proceed to the Julia statue on the front circle of campus for a wreath laying ceremony.

To commemorate the school’s servicemen and women, in 1919, the alumni raised $2,600 for a statue made of Vermont granite depicting a Roman matron representing the alma mater. The statue has become known as Julia. She holds in her right hand a wreath to crown the sons and daughters of East Stroudsburg State Normal School who had served in World War I.

Following the wreath laying ceremony, attendees are invited to a reception in the foyer of Zimbar-Liljenstein Hall.

During her 30 years of military service, Williams achieved the rank of sergeant major, a position held by the highest enlisted members of the U.S. Army, and a rank attained by less than one percent of members of the U.S. Armed Forces. Williams served in Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, and New Dawn. Her mission took her to Iraq, Afghanistan, Dubai, the Oman regions, and several other areas in Southwest Asia. She is currently a Councilwoman for Mount Pocono Borough, Chair of the Monroe County Democratic Party – the first African American to hold such a position – and a member of the Pocono Regional Police Commission.

“This is just one day,” explains June Pepe, assistant director of veterans services. “ESU’s Student Veterans Center is here year round to offer assistance to student veterans. Services offered range from educational needs such as help with scholarship and grants to personal needs like providing a space for people to connect with like-minded individuals.”

Pepe worked with student veterans Costel Sarivan and Cristian Rios-Franco in the Student Veterans Center during the summer and this fall semester. She helped them find employment at the Monroe County Veterans Affairs Office.

Sarivan is a business management major and a United Sates Army Veteran. He likes having the opportunity to work at the VA Office. “It’s a lot of clerical work, but I also get to interact with other vets who have had experiences similar to my own,” Sarivan said. “A lot of vets don’t know all the benefits that are available to them, like discounts on hunting and fishing licenses and store discounts.”

Rios-Franco is a United Sates Marine Veteran studying biology with a concentration in pre-physical therapy. He appreciates the connections he is making through the Student Veterans Center. “I want to work for Wounded Warrior Project,” he said. “Working for the Monroe County Veterans Affairs Office as a student is a great place to learn the system.”

Representatives from the ESU Student Veterans Center will be on WNEP-TV at 8:25 a.m. and WNEP2 at 10:00 a.m. every day this week as they say “Good morning, Pennsylvania.”

For more information about the ESU Student Veterans Center contact June Pepe at 570-422-2830 or email jpepe@esu.edu.