April Newsletter

As we begin the month of April, the Office of Student Veterans hopes everyone is getting excited for warmer weather and working towards the end of the semester!

To congratulate our graduating students for this semester, as well as offer an opportunity for comradery, we are hosting a Chapel Climb. See below for more details. We will also be hosting another Happy Hour at the Krafthouse. We hope to see you at both events!

Warm regards,

The Duke Student Veterans Office

S. Clay Adams, Assistant Vice President
Grace Sullivan Zirkle, Associate Director
Nicholas Harrelson, Graduate Assistant
Beautiful Reed, Graduate Assistant

Spring Semester Upcoming Events

Happy Hour at the Krafthouse - April 17th, 2023

Chapel Climb - April 27th, 2023

Congratulations to our March Madness Bracket Winners!

#1 Dylan Muench

#2 Nicholas Harrelson

#3 Jeremy White

#4 Connor Cook

Please email us to coordinate a time to pick up your prize from the Duke Store at our office!

Thank you to everyone who participated in this exciting event!

Student Spotlight: Rachal Meza Rojas

Rachal Meza Rojas, a native of the Pacific Northwest, commissioned from Seattle University ROTC in 2018. She is an active-duty Army Nurse currently stationed at “The Great Place” (soon-to-be Fort Cavazos) in Killeen, Texas. She is attached to the 36th Forward Resuscitative Surgical Detachment under the 9th Hospital Center with duty at Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center as an Emergency Nurse. She previously served as a Medical-Surgical Nurse at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her training includes Joint Enroute Care Course (JECC), Army Trauma Training Course (ATTC), and Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examiner (SAMFE). Rachal is working towards her Nursing Education Master of Science in Nursing and is set to graduate in the fall of 2024. Once she transitions out of the military, Rachal aims to be a nurse educator in a Level I trauma center.

Proud owner of a Siamese-mix cat named Chance, she enjoys concerts, traveling, lake days, hiking, and good eats.

Read more about Rachal in this article: Rachal Meza Rojas: Early independence polishes life skills.

I welcome any questions about my career, experience, or goals. Feel free to reach out to me via LinkedIn or email.

Spring Semester - Chapel Climb & Graduation Cords

The Duke Office of Student Veterans will be hosting a Duke Chapel Tower Climb on Thursday, April 27th, from 1130-1330. Drop by for the opportunity to climb to the top of the Duke Chapel tower. Climbs will happen every half hour with the last climb beginning at 1300. There will be food and refreshments provided as you wait your turn to climb.

Student veterans are welcome to bring a guest, but they must be sixteen years-of-age or older. All participants must wear close-toed shoes and will be required to fill out a waiver on-site. We encourage participants to view the waiver ahead of time here.

Student Veterans Graduating in May can pick up their graduation cords at the event.

If you cannot attend and would like to request a graduation cord, please email the Office of Student Veterans. Remote students can send us an address where you would like your cord mailed. For local students, we will work with you to coordinate another time on campus to give you your cord.

Happy Hour at the Krafthouse

The Office of Student Veterans will be holding another Happy Hour at the Krafthouse located within the Brodhead Center on West Campus Monday, April 17th from 1600-1800. This is a great opportunity to meet and build rapport with others in our community. Appetizers will be provided by the Office of Student Veterans. Drinks are available for purchase.

Electives of Interest to Student Veterans

The Office of Student Veterans is compiling a list of elective courses open to students across various programs that may be of interest to Duke student veterans. If you have any suggestions, please let us know by emailing veterans@studentaffairs.duke.edu.

Check out the details of the classes compiled thus far.

STEM Student? You May Be Eligible for Extended Benefits!

The Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship is a scholarship for Veterans using the Post-9/11 GI Bill and Fry Scholars which allows them to extend their benefits by up to 9 months or $30,000.

In order to qualify, students must:

Be enrolled in a qualifying STEM program.
Have completed 60 standard credit hours (or 90 quarter credit hours) towards their degree.
Have 6 months or less of their benefits left (if you apply too soon, you'll be denied).

Open Door Availability

The Office of Student Veterans will be available throughout the school year. Although we will not have official office hours, we are readily able to assist you at any time most convenient for you.

If you would like to meet, please email our graduate assistants Nic at nicholas.harrelson@duke.edu, and Beautiful at beautiful.reed@duke.edu. They will be happy to schedule you to meet with someone in our office.

Quote Corner

"You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." - Mark Twain

Ways to Connect

Office of Student Veterans: veterans@studentaffairs.duke.edu

VA Education Benefits Coordinator in the Office of the University Registrar: veteranseducation@duke.edu

Facebook Group: "Duke Veterans"

Facebook Page: "Duke Student Veterans"

Instagram: "DukeStudentVets"