Leader of student veteran organization to speak at Cal U.
California University of Pennsylvania welcomes a nationally-recognized advocate for student veterans when it hosts its 45th annual Veterans Day dinner.
Jared Lyon, president and CEO of Student Veterans of America (SVA), will be the featured speaker at the Nov. 8 event in the Convocation Center. Doors open at 5 p.m.; the formal program begins at 6.
Jared Lyon
SVA represents more than 700,000 student veterans, supporting them through their higher education experience and beyond. Under Lyon’s leadership, the organization has grown to include more than 1,500 chapters on campuses in all 50 states and four countries.
Lyon, of Washington, D.C., is a Navy veteran who served multiple deployments as a submariner and a diver. After concluding his service, he worked as an electronic-systems administrator at Northrop Grumman and managed Florida operations for the Washington Nationals baseball team.
At SVA, he co-authored the National Veteran Education Success Tracker (NVEST) research project, the first comprehensive study of student veterans who are using the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Last year, he led SVA’s commitment to expanding college aid for military veterans through the “Forever GI Bill.”
Hosted by the Cal U. Veterans Club, the Veterans Day dinner is open to the public.
“For 45 years, California has set aside an evening to honor our service members and military veterans – it’s one of our proudest Cal U. traditions,” said Robert Prah, director of the Office of Military and Veterans Affairs. “Few other schools have such a long history of recognizing those who serve, including our students and alumni. Our campus will be decorated with banners honoring Cal U. veterans as we celebrate this milestone anniversary.”
California University students are admitted free; so are alumni who are current or former service members. Cost for residents who are service members or veterans is $10; ticket price for non-veterans and guests is $15. Checks should be made payable to SAI-Vets Club.
Reservations are required; deadline to register is Nov. 2. To make a reservation or inquire about payment options, email veterans@calu.edu.