St. John’s Salutes Veterans and Their Legacy in Campus Ceremony

St. John’s University celebrated veterans from near the Queens, NY, campus and beyond on November 7 during the University’s annual Veterans Day Luncheon in the D’Angelo Center ballroom. 

Veterans and active members of the US Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Navy, along with members of the Army ROTC Red Storm Battalion, joined students, friends, and family to honor the bravery and sacrifices of those who served. A special salute was reserved for military spouses and families, whose sacrifices are often overlooked. 

“Support people are the most important people you can have in your lives,” said Jason G. Loughran ’14CPS, Senior Policy Advisor, New York City Department of Veterans’ Services and a Navy veteran. “So, spouses, parents, brothers, and sisters, we say thank you because we can’t go through this alone.”   

Among the dozens of veterans in attendance were Kian Paolo Anilao of Queens Village, NY, and Christian Brito of the Bronx, NY. Kian and Christian met briefly during Army basic training in 2019 in Fort Sill, OK. They were later deployed to destinations thousands of miles apart, and by fate, reconnected at a Veterans Success Center-sponsored seminar earlier this year, unaware that each had enrolled at St. John’s. Both are now first-year students in The Lesley H. and William L. Collins College of Professional Studies.

“You never really know if you are going to see anyone again,” Christian, a former artillery sergeant, said. “While serving, I only saw one person that I went through basic training with. Then, I walk into the orientation room at St. John’s and see him standing there. What makes it even more unusual is that we really didn’t interact that much when we were in Oklahoma.”   

“It was shocking, just surreal,” added Kian, a former medic who was deployed to Japan and other destinations. “It just shows you that the Army is a small, small world.”

Speaker James A. Croft, Esq. ’07L, Assistant Professor and Department Chair, Division of Legal Studies at the Collins College of Professional Studies, and a Marine Corps veteran, championed the character of veterans and active-duty military with poignant words of inspiration. 

“We veterans have the unique ability to rise above, and to be unwavering team players and fearless in the face of adversity,” Professor Croft said. “As a professor, I reflect on my time in the military, and I realize how the tools I gained are monumental for one’s character in the workforce, school, and through all avenues of life.”

Professor Croft credited the Red Storm Battalion for cultivating leadership skills in cadets and for providing a solid platform for the future success of its veterans, whose expertise is valuable inside and outside of the classroom. He acknowledged the numerous scholarship and financial aid opportunities funded by the University in support of its veteran students. 

The audience also heard from Joseph Sciame ’71Ed, the retired Vice President, Office of Community Relations and US Army veteran who for years coordinated the annual Veterans Day ceremony at St. John’s.

“It is essential that we appreciate, celebrate and assist our student veterans and that is something that we do at St. John’s,” Mr. Sciame shared.

Among the first-time attendees at the veterans celebration was Chris Sosa, originally from Austin, TX, whose 21-year career as a Navy supply corps officer included a deployment to Iraq. After connecting with fellow service members at the Veterans Success Center,  Mr. Sosa said he “gained a new kinship with my fellow veterans at an unexpected point in my life, and found my calling to give back to the community that knows me best.”

Through his new connections, Mr. Sosa discovered a fellowship program that hires veterans to contribute to a forum that provides emotional, financial, and mental health support to current service members and veterans. When his Navy enlistment was complete, he enrolled at St. John’s, where he is pursuing a master’s degree in Government and Politics at St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. 

Mr. Sosa emphasized the unique ability veterans have to pursue their academic dreams at St. John’s, no matter what stage of life they find themselves in. That grows out of the University’s Vincentian mission of achievable opportunities for all, he said.

Karen Moritz Simons, Director of the Office of Parent and Family Relations and Veterans Success Center, said veterans find “a home away from home” in the center. She described the center as an oasis, where student veterans are free to study for classes and meet other veterans who share similar experiences as former service members. The center acts as a connector to information about Veterans Administration benefits, including the Yellow Ribbon Program, which provides financial assistance to veterans for tuition and fees not covered by the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The center also provides mental and spiritual resources, while fostering a sense of camaraderie among former service members. 

“As a mother of an Army veteran, I can say that the center is incredibly useful for veterans of all backgrounds to have a community where they can discuss issues pertaining to health, finances, or pursuing education after serving,” Ms. Simons said. “The center helps veterans smoothly transition into civilian life after serving, which is a big transition.”