HOOAH AND AARGH
ECU recognizes graduating student veterans
Among the nearly 5,000 graduates who will turn their tassels at East Carolina University on Friday will be a small group who have earned their degrees after serving their country in the armed forces, and they received special recognition during a ceremony on April 25.
During ECU’s third annual Veterans Graduate Recognition Ceremony, the student veterans were presented with red, white and blue tassels and gold challenge coins to commemorate the occasion.
Chancellor Steve Ballard addressed the graduates and their families, thanking them for their service. Providing support for veterans is something the university takes seriously, he said, which is why Student Veteran Services was created as a one-stop shop to help veterans navigate the complexities of university life.
“Our goal is simple,” Ballard said. “We want to be the most military friendly school in North Carolina, and we think there is evidence that we’re getting there. We’re not going to be satisfied until we’re doing everything we can to support our military.”
Lauren Pierce listens to remarks during the Veterans Graduate Recognition Ceremony.
Lauren Pierce, who is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in health fitness, said the university has been very supportive, allowing her to sign up early for classes and providing resume help and job fairs. She has lined up an internship with the YMCA in Naples, Florida after graduation.
Many veterans need a lot of help with things like paperwork, especially starting out, said Atul Goel, who will receive his master’s degree in business administration. He began his studies while working but became a full-time student for his final year in order to graduate sooner.
“Student Veteran Services is extremely responsive,” he said. “They do a great job of being proactive and reaching out to vets.”
Goel’s daughter Leela will graduate alongside her father, receiving her degree in biomedical engineering.
Bobby Canady, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps in the 1980s and in the reserves until 1997, agreed that having a dedicated office on campus for student veterans is helpful.
“Rather than having to call someone and wait for days, they’re just a couple steps away when you need something,” he said.
Canady was a maintenance mechanic in the service and has since worked as a social worker in the school system. He initially went back to school at Johnston Community College and transferred to ECU to complete his degree.
“I came here in 1978 in a high school band competition, and I was always impressed by the band and uniforms here,” he said. “When I learned about Chapter 31 and contacted the Department of Veterans Affairs, ECU was a no-brainer for me.
“I never thought that I would have the opportunity to go to college, but when it arose I jumped at it. It has been tough at times but very rewarding.”
Bobby Canady, a maintenance mechanic while in the service, has worked as a school social worker and will graduate with a bachelor of science degree.
Tim Wiseman, assistant vice chancellor for military programs, told the veterans, “You had choices on where to further your education, a lot of them, and I want to thank you for choosing ECU as a partner to do that. … I salute you all, thank you for your service, Hooah and Aargh!”
A Walk Delayed
David Perry ’60 was drafted in February 1961 and didn’t get a chance to participate in commencement – until this year.
Originally from Elizabeth City, he came to East Carolina College in 1956, inspired by his band director, an EC graduate. Perry, a trumpet player, started out in the music program but switched to business education. After finishing his coursework in the summer of 1960, with plans to start teaching in the fall, he was drafted into the U.S. Army.
After spending three years in the service, he went to work with Ford Motor Company in Norfolk, Virginia, coordinating the arrival of parts and the shipment of completed cars from the company’s plant there.
“East Carolina is a wonderful school,” he said. “It prepares you in lots of different ways. It gives you the discipline and the desire to learn. Ford is a big company, with a lot to learn, so I took that love of learning with me and took every training I could. I can’t say enough about how great my experience was at ECU.”
Since 2011, the 50th reunion class has donned golden robes and led the current graduates into Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium for commencement as part of the East Carolina Alumni Association’s Golden Alumni Reunion. Perry attended his 50th reunion in 2010 but participation in commencement wasn’t part of the event at that time.
“I never got a chance to walk in a graduation ceremony, and that’s something I really wanted to do,” said Perry, the first college graduate in his family. “When I saw the reunion this year, I thought I’d really like to march in leading the graduates.”
Perry will get the chance to do just that on Friday along with the 50th reunion Class of 1966.
Jackie Drake contributed to this story.
Atul Goel receives his tassel from Nicole Jablonski and Chancellor Steve Ballard. (Photo by Josh Vaughan)